The Great Forgotten
by anihana
Summary: A girl wakes up with no memory of her past. She's adopted by the Kyouraku family and bonds with Shunsui and eventually falls in love with Ukitake. How will her past reveal itself over time? JuushiroxOC. Reviews welcome, no flames please. Complete
1. Chapter 1: First awakening

She started to wake up. She heard voices outside of the door.

"Poor girl, found her bloody on the street." A man said

"You did the right thing by bringing her home, husband. Who knows how long she laid there? And she's already been out of it for 3 days sense." The woman who obviously was his wife answered.

_Bloody? On the street? Three days? Are they talking about me?_ The girl thought to herself. She slowly blinked open her eyes. She was in an unfamiliar room. She turned her head to look at the door from where she heard the voices on the other side.

"She suffered a severe blow to the head and appeared to be pierced through the chest by a sword, the girl is lucky that she is still alive. Good news is that she wasn't sexually violated in anyway. Hopefully with the medicine and care you've been providing, she will wake up soon. However, I would not be surprised if she experiences some memory loss due to her severe head trauma." Another male voice declared.

"Thank you, for everything that you've done doctor." The first male spoke again.

"I'll be leaving now. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call." His voice faded as he walked away.

The girl looked back up at the ceiling. She felt her eyelids grow heavy once again, and she fell back into a deep slumber.

Light was shining in through the cracks of the blinds and fell heavy on her eyelids. Her eyes fluttered as she opened them to the same ceiling that she had seen before. _Where am I?_ The girl heard the door open to her right and she turned to look. A maid-servant stood in the doorway. When she had seen that the young lady had finally awoke she called for her master.

"Kyouraku-sama! Kyouraku-sama! The young lady has her eyes open!" The servant girl yelled excitedly. Said young lady flinched at the loud voice and took a deep breath. It was then she heard and excited pair of feet that seemed to be heading in her direction. She tried to sit up in bed, but found that it was too painful.

"You are right, Asuko-san, please bring in some food and tea for our guest, I'm sure she would like some." Said Kyouraku-sama. "Hello there, child," he spoke gingerly to the girl, "you have been asleep for almost a week here at my home. I am Kyouraku Daisuke, I am the one who found you and brought you here. My dear wife's name is Kyouraku Akemi. She went out in town at the moment buying a kimono. She will be upset that she was not here to see you wake up."

The girl's brain slowly processed everything the man was saying. She looked up at him with hazy eyes. She managed a small smile. "Thank you." She barely was able to whisper.

"You are weak. You were attacked, we assume, and left to bleed to death in the street. I just happened to walk by."

The girl looked back up at the ceiling. _What happened to me? I don't remember anything. I'm sure my parents will be worried about me. Wait… do I have parents? What are their names? Where do I live? What is MY name?_ All these questions came all at once to her, and she realized with horror that she didn't have an answer to any of them. She felt tears well up and she began to sob. She sobbed because she didn't know who she was. She sobbed out of embarrassment she felt in front of this kind gentleman. She sobbed because it was an automatic action her body took against her and she wasn't able to stop.

The older man looked down on her. He could see she was terrified, but of what he didn't know.

"Calm yourself, child. We mean you no harm. You are safe with us." The young girl looked at him and smiled through her tears. She could only say what she had said before,

"Thank you."

It was then that Asuko-san had brought in some food and tea for the young lady. Asuko helped the girl sit up in bed so that it wouldn't bring her too much pain and set the bed tray in her lap. The girl looked at the food. She was feeling quite hungry. The tray had a variety of foods: fresh fruit, eggs, ham, toast, orange juice and green tea with honey. The girl looked up at Asuko-san and said the only thing she seemed to be able to say that day, "Thank you." Asuko left the room and Kyouraku-sama said, "please, eat as much as you can. I will be back here soon." Then he left the room. The girl ate everything in front of her. She guessed she hadn't had any nourishment since she had been attacked. Well, she was going to assume, along with her caretakers that she had been attacked, seeing as she had no idea what actually happened to her.

The young lady was feeling nice and full when the master of the house came back in with the same servant girl. Asuko gathered up the dishes and tray and immediately walked back out of the room. The master gazed at the young girl. All she did was look at her hands that were on her lap. She didn't know what to say or do. How do you thank someone for this level of kindness? How do you repay something like that? What is going to happen to her now? She doesn't know if she has a home or a family.

"Tell me child, what is your name?" the man asked. The girl simply looked at him and blinked. _Shit, I don't know my name._

"It's, ummm. It's uh…" _think! Think! What is your name? _ She looked up at her savior. "I'm sorry sir, I don't know my name." She wanted to cry again but wouldn't let herself.

"So your memory has been affected then?" the girl looked up at him again, "the doctor said that this would probably happen. Luckily, you did have a necklace on with the name 'Saya' on it. We are assuming that is your name."

The girl liked the sound of that name. It did seem familiar in a way.

"It seems familiar." The girl said.

"Good then, from now on you will be Saya." Kyouraku-sama stated with a smile. Saya looked up at him and gave him an appreciative smile. It was good to have a name. "Do you remember anything that happened to you, Saya-san?" the man questioned. Saya looked back down at her hands. Her brow furrowed when she was unsuccessful at bringing up even the slightest memory.

"I'm sorry sir, I don't." She stated weakly. She felt so ashamed. But why? She didn't need to feel that way; it wasn't her fault that she was in this position.

"Do not fear, Saya-san. We will sort things out." Kyouraku-sama could see that fatigue was once again taking over the young girl. "Please, rest now. I will call the doctor for you the next time you wake."

"Thank you, Kyouraku-sama." Saya said as sleep once again claimed her mind and body.

When she woke, she could tell that it was evening time. The sun was low in the sky making the rays that shone through her blinds long and orange colored. She smelled food and thought that it must be dinner time. She didn't know what to do. Should she stand up? The thought crossed Saya and she had the notion that it might be a good idea. She weakly threw the covers off of her and swung her legs over the side of the bed. It was then she noticed a mirror across from her. She looked in it. Saya did not recognize the girl staring back at her. _So I even forgot my own looks? _ She mused to herself. She studied herself for a few moments. She looked young, but not like a child. She looked about the age of 20-year-old girl. She had golden locks and sparkling blue eyes. Her skin was pale from lack of sunlight, and her body looked weak and frail due to the attack it had sustained as well as the lack of movement. That's when she noticed bandages appearing atop the V in her sleeping kimono. She looked down and parted her kimono a little more to get a better look. Her chest was bandaged from just below her collar bone down past her belly button. _How badly was I attacked? For what reason would someone come after me?_ Succumbing to the fact that she wasn't going to be able to answer those questions, she decided to attempt standing. She quickly realized what a bad idea that turned out to be when she fell on her hands and knees to the floor with a loud "thud" and vocal "aahh!"

She heard several pairs of feet running down the hall and her door flung open to reveal the master of the house, the servant girl Asuko, and another beautiful woman who Saya had not seen before.

"Dear me, child! What are you trying to do? Knock yourself out again?" the woman sounded concerned as she rushed to help the heap-of-a-girl up and back into bed.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, I thought that maybe I could stand. I guess I was wrong."

"Now, now dear, we don't want you hurting yourself, or re-opening those wounds you have, do we?"

"No ma'am," Saya said as the woman helped Saya pull the blankets up to her waist.

"I am the lady of the house, Kyouraku Akemi." She said while smiling down at Saya.

"It's very nice to meet you, Lady Kyouraku. I am Saya."

"Oh! You remembered your name? How lovely!" Saya looked down right after she said this.

"No mi'lady, your honored husband told me it was on a necklace you found on my person."

"Oh well dear, don't worry about it. I'm sure your memories will come back to you in no time." Saya looked up and received the warm smile this woman had bestowed on her. Saya felt more comfortable. This woman was very motherly, and that made Saya feel at ease. "Bring in some food for Saya-san, Asuko-chan."

"Yes mi'lady," answered the servant girl.

"And bring in the Lord's and mine's dinner as well. We shall eat in here with Saya-san tonight."

"Yes mi'lady."

"Oh Lady Kyouraku, I would hate to be any more of a burden than I already am. Please mi'lady, I'm sure you would enjoy your dinner much more if you ate in the comfort of your own dining room." Spoke Saya, now not feeling so much at ease.

"Nonsense! I would love to eat with you in here, I would have not said anything if I did not want to do it!"

Saya smiled once again. She could tell she was going to enjoy the lady of the house. She seemed a bit odd, but her warmth and kindness could be felt throughout the manor, Saya was sure of it.

The night was filled with The Lord and Lady of the house telling Saya about their two boys, and all the trouble they seemed to get into when they were young. Saya laughed so many times at all their hilarious stories, and the antics their second son, Shunsui, seemed to pull. They informed Saya that he was now the captain of the 8th division in the 13 protection squads within the Sereitei. At first, it seemed hard to believe that this lazy (and lecherous!) troublemaker they were describing could go so far, but after a while, she started to have a feel for this man. He sounded insightful and very intelligent, although still lazy and flirtatious. Saya wanted to meet this man. Their older son sounded interesting as well. His name was Michi and he was a successful business man in Rukongai, or the area that surrounded the Sereitei. He seemed to have some sort of connection with a lot of the aristocracy that lived in the first 3 districts of Rukongai. Either way, Saya truly wanted to meet both of these young masters.

It started to become late. Saya wanted her Lord and Lady to continue, but they could tell she was growing tired. They decided to call it a night.

"Goodnight, Saya. We will see you in the morning." Said Akemi-sama.

"Don't worry, we'll have you up and about in no time," said Daisuke with a wink.

Saya smiled and felt her eyelids grow heavy. She was in a deep sleep before she knew it


	2. Chapter 2: Evaluation

Author's note: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of my story! OH! Wish I owned Bleach, but I don't. Some names borrowed from other anime series, but personalities are new! Anyway, enjoy!

The captain lay on his back on top of his barracks, re-reading the letter he had just received from his father that night. A small smile played upon his lips. _That sounds like father. Always the helpful one. It is a shame about what happened to this girl. I would truly like to meet her._ His thoughts took him back down to his quarters to respond to the letter he received, along with writing one to his brother. _We should take some time to get to know this girl. It sounds like mother and father have already fallen under her charms._

………

Saya woke up feeling a little better than the day before. She sat up on the bed without too much trouble. She could tell that she slept in later than the rest of the house though. A knock came at her door.

"Yes? Come in please." Answered Saya. Lord Kyouraku and a physician entered the room.

"Saya, this is Dr. Suzuki. He has been looking after you." Daisuke introduced.

" Hello Dr. Suzuki. Thank you so much for all your care. I don't know how I could ever truly show my appreciation for all you've done for me." Saya said politely.

"Well, well, Daisuke-sama! She is charming indeed! And so polite as well! Whatever family you came from Saya-san, it probably wasn't from the poorer districts with speech and manners like that!" Dr. Suzuki replied with a wide smile and warm eyes.

"Oh?" Saya said a little confused. She wasn't quite sure how to respond to that statement. "Arigato for your kind words, doctor."

"So polite, so polite." The doctor said again. "I'm here to give you another check-up."

"I'll send Asuko-chan in during the exam." Lord Kyouraku said while he excused himself from the room.

"So Saya-san, the master of the house tells me your memory did not recover with you," said the good doctor.

"No sir," said Saya she couldn't help but let the disappointment seep in through her voice, "I remember nothing about what happened to me. The only memories I have now are the ones from yesterday."

"Don't worry Saya, I'm sure that as time goes on, your memories will return to you. Perhaps that will be sparked by a place, smell, taste, or person. Just keep on the positive side of things." Just then Asuko walked into the room and closed the door.

"Shall we begin then?" asked the doctor.

He proceeded to do a full evaluation on Saya. He took her temperature, blood pressure, and checked her sugar levels. He also had Saya get up and do some physical tasks like touching her toes, walking in a straight line, etc. Saya was disappointed to see how easily fatigued she was after such menial physical exertion. The doctor seemed to sense this because he commented on that fact.

"Don't worry Saya-san. You have been in bed for many days, and your body took a devastating toll. It will be some time before you recover a great amount of strength. Overall, you seem to be recovering quite nicely considering the condition you were found in. Please get plenty of rest. Take walks and go outside when you feel up to it. Don't exert yourself too much though, or you'll get worse before you get any better."

"Hai, thank you doctor."

Asuko helped Saya back into bed. Saya was fatigued from the morning and was feeling quite sleepy.

"Saya-sama, would you like some lunch before you have a nap?" asked Asuko. Saya was a little thrown off to hear the honorific 'sama' used after her name.

"Um… I don't think I'll have any just now. Please save some for me when I wake up though." Said Saya. Asuko nodded and went to leave. "Oh, Asuko-san," Saya waited for the servant girl to turn around, "please don't be so formal with me. I feel silly with you calling me 'sama.' Please, Saya-san will be just fine." This statement elicited a small smile from Asuko.

"You sound like Kyouraku Shunsui-sama, wanting to dispense with formalities. However, the Master and Mistress told me that I should address you as such, and so I will. Have a nice nap, Saya-sama." With that said, Asuko left the room. Saya sighed and sunk back into bed. It had been a long morning, and she was happy for the chance to take a much needed nap.


	3. Chapter 3: New Family

It had been about 3 months since Saya had awoken, and this morning she was particularly nervous. She was regaining her strength and would often go with Lady Kyouraku to shop in town. Saya could not have asked for better caretakers. The Lord and Lady treated her as if she were their own daughter. They spoiled her. Saya often felt unworthy of such grand treatment, but at the same time, she didn't mind all the advantages that came her way. The Kyouraku's were a high-class family. They wouldn't be considered "noble" but were respected by the noble clans that dwelt within the Sereitei all-the-same. The Lord and Lady often made the argument to Saya that she had to be from a high class family as well. Her manners were impeccable and the way she carried herself with grace and class spoke to this. However, none of the high-class families or noble families laid any claim to Saya. It was hard not to wonder were she had come from, but each day she felt more and more content with her fosterers and were happy to be around them. However, the reason she was nervous was because she was finally going to meet Michi and Shunsui. She couldn't help but be nervous about what these young masters would say about her.

Asuko had been assigned as Saya's personal servant. Although Saya and Asuko had become good friends over the last month, Asuko always had an air of formality around Saya. Asuko always seemed to know how to calm and encourage Saya though, and Saya was always happy when Asuko was around, even if she did insist on referring to Saya as "sama."

"Asuko, do you think the young Lords will like me?" asked Saya.

"Of course, mi'lady. You are charming and polite. You can also be quite witty, which I'm sure Shunsui-sama will enjoy." Reassured Asuko.

"Thank you, Asuko. I'm just so nervous though." Sighed Saya.

"Do not be, they are kind like the Lord and Lady of the house." Asuko gave her a smile.

"Now mi'lady, how would you like your hair?"

"Um… how do you think it looks best?" asked Saya

"I always like it when you wear it part way back," answered Asuko honestly.

"Alright then, let's do that." Saya sat while Asuko brushed and pinned her hair. Saya looked in the mirror and was pleased with her look. Then they went to the wardrobe to pick out a kimono.

"Hhmmm… what shall I wear Asuko?" asked Saya who was looking towards the maid for help.

Asuko smiled and laughed slightly at Saya's indecisiveness. "Shunsui-sama likes pink on ladies, and Michi enjoys yellow." Said Asuko.

"Well, how about this pink kimono? We shall tie it with a yellow obi then? That way, I can please both of them." Said Saya.

"I think they will be pleased no matter what you wear, Saya-sama. But I think that would look very pretty on you indeed." Just as Asuko had tied the obi, it was announced that the two sons had arrived and were waiting in the entry way. Saya gave Asuko a petrified look, which Asuko returned with a wink and some encouraging words.

Saya took a few deep breaths to steady herself and walked out of her room and made her way towards the entrance of the house. She heard a voices chatting in the entryway. She recognized Daisuke's and Akemi's. Saya assumed the unfamiliar voices belonged to their sons.

"Oh Shunsui! Too busy being a lazy and philandering captain to come pay your mother a visit?! It's been years since I've seen you last!"

"Well mother, it takes a lot of work being irresponsible. If I were to actually put in some real effort, then people might start expecting something great from me." Answered a jovial voice, obviously from Shunsui-sama.

"Well, brother you should take more time to visit our dear mother. Who knows how long these two old fogies are going to be around for?" stated the older brother, Michi, with a laugh. Saya couldn't help but smile and laugh a little bit herself. She decided to let everyone know she was there and she came out of the hallway and into view. At the time, she saw that Akemi-sama had both boys by the ears and was teasing them. It was a happy family scene. Saya almost felt like she ruined the moment. It didn't take any time for her presence to be known. She gave a small smile then folded her hands in front of her and dropped her gaze to the floor.

"Oh Saya-chan!" stated Akemi-sama, "come and meet our two sons! Boys, this is the charming young girl we've been telling you about."

Saya walked over to the two brothers and allowed Akemi-sama to make the introductions.

"This is our oldest, Michi, and this is our second son, Shunsui." Saya looked up. Both brothers were looking at her with kind smiles on their faces. She looked at Michi first. He was tall, at least four inches taller than herself (and Saya was a very tall 5'10"). He had kind dark brown eyes. His hair was black and cut short. Then Saya met Shunsui's eyes. His eyes were of a softer shade of brown, they looked like they were hiding a lot of wisdom along with mischief in them. Shunsui was a couple inches taller than his older brother. Saya could tell his body was muscular even though he had on his captain's haori and another pink kimono top over that. His hair was rather wavy and long; held back by a blue ribbon with two pinwheels sticking out of it.

"Nice to finally meet you Saya," said Michi, "we've received many letters about you."

"It is very nice to meet you as well. I've heard many stories about you from Lord and Lady Kyouraku. I've been looking forward to putting faces with the names." Saya said, bowing to both the brothers.

"Don't believe everything they tell you, Saya-san," this time it was Shunsui who spoke, "my mother and father often drink too much sake, and their stories become more elaborate with each cupful."

_WRAP!_ Shunsui was promptly knocked on the head with his mother's fan. Saya was a bit startled at first then quickly pulled out her own fan to cover her face so as to hide the smile that had quickly appeared on it.

"Chi chi mother! Was that really necessary? Nanao-chan always hits me with the book she's carrying around. Why is it that I get hit by lovely women wherever I go?" inquired Shunsui.

"Because brother, if you aren't inappropriately flirting with them, then you're probably unwittingly insulting them." Said Michi. Saya was going to enjoy being with these brothers.

"Come now family, we will be having tea out in the back yard. Let's head outside." Said Daisuke. They all began to walk outside when Shunsui offered his arm to Saya.

"Thanks you Kyouraku Shunsui-sama," said Saya as she took his arm.

"It's not everyday that I get to come home and meet a beautiful young lady." He stated.

Saya simply smiled at him. She heard about him being a flirt, she wasn't sure if he was going to try anything on her.

_This girl is very beautiful indeed. The way she moves with such grace would surely please even Kuchiki Byakuya, the head of the 4 noble clans of the Soul Society._

………

They had all been having a very lovely tea time. Saya felt very comfortable with the Kyouraku family. She felt at ease as they laughed and joked their way through the meal. The two brothers took and instant liking to her and had fallen under her charm.

"What lovely manners you have, Saya-san," praised Michi, "you are surely from a noble house with the way you carry on, your posture, how you drink your tea. It all screams that you are from a good upbringing."

"Thank you for you compliments Master Kyouraku Michi, but unfortunately I cannot recall where I am from. No clans seem to missing any female family member, or else I'm sure I would have been claimed long ago." Stated Saya.

"Well, Saya-san, you don't have to worry about finding a family anymore." Stated Lord Kyouraku. Saya simply looked at him with a small smile on her face, not entirely understanding his meaning. "The reason we asked our sons to pay a visit is so that you could meet your brothers, and in turn, they could meet their new sister." Saya flushed as the realization of his words hit her. She bowed her head in deep appreciation, and to hide the blush she felt rising to her cheeks.

"Kyouraku-sama… I… I… I don't know what to say. I am deeply touched by your offer to adopt me as your own. I don't believe I deserve this kindness you have bestowed upon me. Are you quite sure you wish to have me as a daughter?" Saya replied. She could feel the tears start to well up in her eyes.

"Saya-san," it was Shunsui that spoke, "do not be so humble. Have you not realized the joy you have brought our parents? They have always wanted a daughter and now they have been blessed with a beautiful girl to call their own." His voice was sweet in its tone.

"Ne Saya-san, we have always wanted a little sister as well. We are happy that you will be joining our family." Agreed Michi

Saya now looked up at the members of the family she was so graciously accepted into. She could no longer hold the tears back from her eyes. "How is that I have been so blessed to be taken in by such kind people? I am honored to call you my family. I only hope that I can return the affection that you have shown me. I hope I can make you proud to call yourselves my parents, and my brothers." It was Akemi that first got up and embraced Saya.

"Aijou (beloved daughter), we are already proud to have you in our home." Saya then felt the men's arms wrap themselves around her in a huge family hug. She was the center of it. Saya had never felt so happy. Well, she assumed that she was never as happy as she was in that moment.

The family broke the hug. Daisuke showed Saya the adoption scroll. Her name was now Kyouraku Saya. She couldn't help but beam when she saw her new name and she was happy to now call Daisuke and Akemi her father and mother.

"My dear sons, I hate for this day to end. Please stay for dinner and perhaps even stay the night? It is important that we celebrate this day in our family! For we finally have the daughter we always dreamed of!" stated Akemi.

"I don't think that will be a problem, I would love to stay and welcome my new imouto (younger sister) into the family properly." Said Michi while patting Saya's head.

"I should probably stay then too, ne? It would make me look like I didn't care about my onee-chan (little sister) if I left? I don't want to give that impression." Smiled Shunsui, but instead he tousled Saya's hair. She laughed a little

"Ne ne, aniki (elder brother)! You will mess up my hair, and Asuko-san spent so much time making it look lovely for you!" teased Saya.

"Oh she did? Well in that case..." Shunsui started to tousle her hair with both hands. Saya squealed and tried to get him off of her head while she laughed.

"Haku! Haku (eldest brother). Come save me!" She laughed

"Now now, Shunsui! You can't go on behaving like that." Chided Michi.

"No?" Questioned Kyouraku.

"Ne, brother. If you really wanted to mess up her hair, I'll have to hold her still first so she can't fight back!" With that Michi grabbed Saya turned her around so that her back was against him and pinned her arms down to her sides in a bear hug.

"AAAAHHHH!!" she screamed and laughed at the same time.

"You're right brother," said Shunsui, "this will be much easier!" He began to mess her hair and tickle her. The three siblings were laughing so much and Saya was having a hard time catching her breath from the double assault from her two brothers. Daisuke and Akemi laughed from their chairs.

"Alright, alright you two, leave Saya alone." Said Daisuke. "Saya, I think that you should expect some teasing and playful behavior from these two." Her new father said with a wink. "If you two are going to be staying then we will need more food for tonight's celebration dinner. We will have to send some servants out for pork, edamame, rice… hmm, what else?" thought Daisuke out loud.

"Ne father, there is no need to send servants out to town. Why don't you let the three of us go and fetch the victuals? It would give Shunsui and me a chance to get to know our sister a little better. Siblings should spend time together, ne? It should be fun. We won't take too long."

"I think that's a great idea goshujin (husband), let the boys spend some time with Saya."

"Alright, but be careful, and you two are to make sure she comes back home safe and sound." He said sounding somewhat stern.

"Oh ho ho! Did you hear that, brother? Sounds like she's already 'daddy's little girl!'" teased Shunsui.

"It's good to be the favorite," inserted Saya with a mischievous smile. She in turn earned a chuckle from her brothers who appreciated her humorous remark. "But first, I must fix my hair. I can't go into the market looking like this!" she said while pointing to her head.

"Why not, Saya?" joked Michi

"Yes, Saya… why not? You could start a new fashion trend." Teased Shunsui.

"I think not," said Saya with a laugh. "Please give me a few minutes to tame this mess!"

………

"You seem to getting on very well with the young Lords," stated Asuko while helping Saya fix her hair.

"Yes, I enjoy them very much. I think I will like having big brothers." Smiled Saya.


	4. Chapter 4: Out on the town

After waving bye to their mother and father, the three siblings headed out of the manor and towards the town. The manor was located in the first district of Rukongai, the wealthiest and safest of the districts. It was known to have the best shops, markets and restaurants.

Saya was walking in-between her brothers and enjoying their conversation. Most of it was light hearted teasing; however she did manage to learn a few things about her brothers. Michi wasn't a business man like Saya had thought; in fact he was a very successful lawyer. He mainly did family law, and helped the aristocratic and noble families with wills, inheritances, and things of that nature. He had been seeing a woman by the name of Asano Kikyo for quite some time now, and it was clear he wanted to marry her. She was the eldest daughter of another aristocratic family within the district. Shunsui, although a soldier-captain in the protection squads, hated to fight unless absolutely necessary. He was peace loving, and would rather read haiku or discuss philosophy than draw his sword against another. Saya respected both men very much. They seemed intelligent and honorable. She was happy to call them her brothers.

"Kyouraku-housou (lawyer), so nice to see you out and about!" said a jovial looking older gentleman. "Who do you have with you?" he asked, eyeing Saya a little more than what would have been considered appropriate.

"Ah, Asano-sama. It is a pleasure to see you. Please, let me introduce you to my brother, Shunsui, and my sister Saya." Said Michi, "Brother, sister, this is Asano Kanaye-sama. He is the father of Kikyo-san."

"A pleasure to meet you, Asano-kun," said Shunsui tipping his straw hat to the man.

"How nice to meet you sir, my haku has just been telling us how much he admires you. I am honored to meet someone that he thinks of so highly." Saya said with a low bow.

"Well, well! What a lovely young girl!" said the man, instantly taken in by her flattery. In fact, Michi had said nothing of the sort about liking and thinking highly of Master Asano. Truth be told, he thought Kikyo's father to be a bit over-zealous and arrogant. Saya simply smiled and hid her face behind her fan. Shunsui noticed her actions.

_Clever girl, she just managed to get Michi on better terms with this Kanaye. I'm sure this man is going to be his father-in-law one day. Onee-chan was able to give false flattery while seeming utterly sincere. It's interesting, her flattery and attitude at home seemed completely genuine. Here, although appearing sincere, she is being political. Haha. She must be a noble; they are the best at this sort of game._

Saya noticed Shunsui was staring at her with a smirk. She looked at him a little confused.

"I didn't know you had a younger sister, Michi housou. You have not mentioned her before. I don't know why you would keep such a lovely young lady a secret!" exclaimed Asano-san.

"Let me explain, Asano-sama. I was not trying to keep my honored sister a secret. She has been recently adopted into our family. I am happy to be her older brother."

"Oh, I see! Well, such manners and so beautiful too! I hope you don't mind, young lady, but I would like to borrow your brother for a few minutes." Asano-sama said to Saya.

Saya kept her face hidden behind her fan and batted her eyelashes slightly. "Ne, Asano-sama, again, I am so pleased to have met you, sir."

"So lovely, lovely indeed," Saya could hear him saying as Asano and Michi walked off.

Saya looked over to Shunsui to see him still smirking at her.

"What is it aniki? You've had that strange look on your face for a while now. Have I done something wrong?" Saya asked.

"I was just thinking about your flattery towards Asano over there. It was quite interesting how you were able to deliver it, although Michi thinks nothing like what you said."

"What was I supposed to say to him? If Michi is truly in love with this Kikyo woman, than it does not hurt him for his future father-in-law to believe that he is admired by our brother. Asano-sama is flattered and Michi-ni gains the benefits of my remarks. It is a win-win situation." Argued Saya.

"I didn't say you did anything wrong, Saya-chan. It's just that it was interesting observing your interaction with Asano. I've also deemed that the flattery you bestow on my parents is honest and sincere, while what you said to him was more of a political compliment. When you truly mean your compliments, you are humble. When you are flattering for the sake of flattering, you are coy. However, I doubt anyone but myself would pick up on such a thing. If I do say so myself, I have a good intuition for people's true meaning." He finished with a wink. Saya smiled back at her aniki. He was probably right. The way she acted toward the aristocrat seemed ingrained in her somehow. She didn't know quite how to explain it. "Come Saya, let's start heading towards that ribbon tent over there," Shunsui pointed.

Saya was looking at all the ribbons with Shunsui. She couldn't believe how many colors there were in front of her. All sorts of yellows, pinks, purples, blues… Saya thought that there had to be a different colored ribbon for every day of the year.

"Who are you buying a ribbon for, aniki?" asked Saya.

"Well, there's a young girl who I feel needs a gift." Replied Shunsui.

"Is it this Nanao that I heard you refer to earlier?"

"Haha. Why do you say that?"

"I don't know. I just thought." Saya looked at the ribbons. "It's hard to choose. I don't know Nanao-san, so I don't know what ribbon she would like."

"What ribbon do you like Saya onee-chan?"

"Huh, me?"

"Well, you're a girl, so I thought that perhaps you could pick out a pretty ribbon that you like." Said Shunsui, a bit slyly.

"Well Aniki, it should be something that you pick out, really." Said Saya.

"Oh?"

"Yes, for a couple of reasons. It will mean more if you are the one who put in the effort into picking it out; and two, whenever she wears it, she'll be wearing it for you because she knows that you admire her in that ribbon. Does that make sense?" Said Saya, furrowing her brow a little. She wasn't thrilled with her inarticulate explanation of the delicacies of ribbon buying and wearing. Shunsui just laughed at her.

"Yes Saya, I see. Well then, I would pick out this blue ribbon here."

"That's very pretty, Shunsui-ni." Saya said, staring at the beautiful ribbon in Shunsui's hand. It was as blue as the sky, and on closer inspection, Saya saw delicate silver thread woven through so that it shimmered in the light. "You have good taste in ribbons, brother."

"Do I?" Said Shunsui with a smirk.

"Yes, in fact I think that you should give up your duties as a captain shinigami and become a professional ribbon consultant. Women of nobility everywhere will pay out the nose for your fashion take on hair ribbons." She retorted teasingly. This earned her a laugh from Shunsui. She looked up at her brother when he laughed. It was warm and filled her with so much happiness just to hear that sound. Saya smiled and turned her back to her brother while he paid for the ribbon.

Saya started watching all the people bustling about. It was one of her favorite things to do when she went to town with Lady Kyouraku. She loved watching the small children running around and playing with their new toys, the women fussing over them all while trying to look like they had control of the situation (when really they were frazzled and at their wit's end), and the men talking business with one another trying to sound more self-important than they really were. But Saya's thoughts were interrupted when she felt her hair being taken down out of the half-bun Asuko-san had put it up in earlier. She tried to turn her head when Shunsui stopped her.

"Don't move onee-chan, I don't want to mess it up."

Saya continued to look straight ahead and could feel all of her hair being taken up in a pony tail. Shunsui handed her a mirror so she could see.

"Ni-sama! That ribbon is for me?" She said admiring the ribbon in her hair.

"Yes onee-chan, it is my gift to you to welcome you into our family. I picked it out because it goes so well with your eyes." Shunsui said. Saya was touched by his thoughtful gift.

"Thank you ni-sama."

"Saya! Shunsui! There you are!" It was Michi, "I've been looking for you. Saya, whatever you said to Asano-sama was like magic. He's given me permission to take Kikyo as my bride! He's never been this warm towards me before!"

"Congratulations, Michi" said Shunsui with a smile, "she is one lucky lady, ne?"

"I'm so happy for you haku! Not only did I gain two brothers, I will soon be able to call this lady of yours my sister!"

"As a thank you Saya-san, I bought you this." Michi held out a charm of the letter 'K.' "It's for 'Kyouraku,' _our_ family name." Saya looked up at him, how thoughtful of both her brothers, she was happy for her gifts.

"Thank you, ni-sama. My brothers are too kind to me!" Saya placed her new gift on her necklace with the charm that said her name.

………

In the middle of the night Saya woke to noises on the roof. She was a little afraid, _did anyone else hear that?_ She decided to sneak up to Shunsui's room. _If it's some sort of predator, he'll be able to handle him no problem. Aniki is a captain-level shinigami after all._ She made it to Shunsui's room and noticed he wasn't in his bed. Actually, it looked like Shunsui hadn't been in his bed at all. That's when Saya noticed the open window right above it. She went over to look and noticed that the roof came down lower at this part of the house, giving him the perfect ability to sneak out his window and onto the roof. Saya smiled to herself. _Why would Shunsui-ni want to get up on the roof?_ Saya decided that she wanted to find out. She went out onto the ledge and carefully climbed up, careful not to lose her footing. She saw her brother lying down with his hands behind his head, bathing in the moon light.

"Ahh onee-chan, so you found me?"

"Hai aniki, what are you doing on the roof?"

"I don't always sleep well at night, besides; it's nice to come up here when the rest of the world is silent. It's a peaceful feeling; I can be alone in my thoughts. What is your excuse, onee-chan?" Shunsui asked playfully.

"I was woken up by noises on the roof." Saya said with a laugh. Just then a cool breeze blew by. Saya realized she was only wearing a light-weight sleeping kimono and suddenly blushed at her lack of proper attire. She started to pull her kimono around her tighter in an effort to stay warm against the night breeze, and to preserve some of her modesty.

"Chilly onee-chan?"

"Hai."

"Come over here."

Saya walked over to her brother. He stood up and covered her with his outer pink haori he was so fond of wearing.

"Thank you, Aniki." Saya said as she pulled it around her. Shunsui lay down again on his back with his hands behind his head, looking at the moon and stars. Saya sat next to him and looked up.

"I never thanked you properly for my ribbon."

"No? I thought you did."

"It didn't feel like I did. I wasn't expecting it is all. I appreciate all the kindness you and Michi showed me today." Saya lay down next to him. She was warm wrapped in his haori and sleep was attempting to take her once again. Shunsui looked over at his new sister and smiled.

"Saya-chan, come here." He said while he pushed his arm under her shoulders and scooted her towards him. She laid her head in the spot where his arm met his shoulder and snuggled into his side. Saya felt safe and protected next to her brother. She smiled as she drifted off into sleep.

_You are a good addition to the family, onee-chan. Sleep now. I will protect you. Whoever harmed you before will not be able to touch you again._

* * *

Author's note: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks to Sareenah for the nice review! I'm writing this because Shunsui is one of my favorite captains (obviously!). The names I've chosen for some of my characters reflect their personality or looks (Daisuke means large, great, help; Akemi means bright, beautiful; Kanaye means something like boisterous). I should clarify that the story line is about 100 years prior to the manga/anime. 


	5. Chapter 5: First Goodbye

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach (but it would be nice to!)

* * *

20 years had passed since Saya had been adopted into the Kyouraku family. Although none of her previous memories had returned to her, she found that there were things she just "knew." For example, she knew how to play the piano and lap harp; she knew how to paint and draw; her calligraphy was beyond superb; and her manners were impeccable. Most people assumed that she was from a noble family before her accident, but no one had ever recalled seeing her in the past. She understood the intricacies of the nobility. She knew who to bow to, for how long, when to stand up, when to sip her tea, how to serve tea, when to speak, how to speak, how to walk, where to walk, etc, etc, etc. In fact, she was better mannered and cultured than any of the girls who had been brought up in the noble and aristocratic society. She was easily one of the most beautiful girls in Rukongai with her golden hair, blue eyes, and svelte build. This caused some amount of jealousy among the other ladies of the upper class. They didn't understand how some girl who had been found practically dead on the street outshined them in everything that they were expected to know and do. To be honest, Saya didn't know how she did it either and it wasn't like she tried to. It was like her mind and body knew what to do without her consciously being aware of it; like she had been expected to act that way her entire life and now it was engrained in her being. Overall though, Saya was generally liked and thought to be a kind person. She had friends and acquaintances she would spend time with regularly. 

Saya sighed as she looked out on the stormy day. She hadn't been able to go out in the garden, walk to the park, or go visit her friends Miroku and Hiami. Saya had just finished penning a letter to her brother, asking him once again if she could visit him in the Sereitei. For some reason, Shunsui denied her permission to visit every time she asked. He said it was no place for a young lady like Saya to be.

"That's a dumb argument, Aniki! There are plenty of women who are Shinigami and reside within in the Sereitei! All I want to do is come and see my older brother and where he spends all of his time! What is the crime in that!?" Saya debated when he would tell her no. He would smile at her, chuckle a little to himself, and then tell her that she needed to calm down; eventually he would allow her to come. She was hoping it would be sooner rather than later, since it had already been 20 years. It wasn't like she never got to see or hear from her brother, but it wasn't as often as she'd like.

On top of everything, her mother had fallen ill, and spent most of her time asleep in bed. Lord Daisuke was busy caring for his wife and attending to his own affairs. Michi had married Kikyo long ago, and they were expecting a child of their own now. Saya wasn't feeling neglected, but she didn't get to spend the time with her family like she used to. She was also very curious about the Shinigami and the Sereitei. She felt drawn to that world for some reason. Not to mention, Saya had been getting hungrier and hungrier lately. She knew that meant she had some amount of spiritual power, but she wasn't sure how strong she actually was or could get. But she did know that she would need to learn how to control her own spiritual pressure at the very least.

Saya finished her letter and sealed it. She took it to one of the servants in the household. "Please get this to Shunsui-aniki when you have the chance. Don't worry about it now, when it's raining." She went back to her room and lay down. She decided to go to bed early. There was nothing better to do anyway.

………

A week later Saya received a reply from her brother. She lazily opened it up expecting to read the same thing that she's read for 20 years, and she didn't feel like being rejected once again, but she read it anyway. To her surprise, the answer Saya received was quite the opposite of what she expected. She darted down the hall and made her way to her parents' room.

"Mother! Father!! Guess what guess what guess what?!" Saya yelled while bursting into their room. Daisuke dropped his teacup which fell to the floor and Akemi spilled her tea all down her front.

"Oops! Forgive me mother, father. I just go so excited I kind of forgot to knock." Saya said, now gazing at the floor.

"My goodness Saya, you almost gave me a heart attack!" scolded her father, "and your mother doesn't need to be scared like that in her condition."

"I'm sorry sir." Saya really did feel bad.

"Oh Daisuke, Saya feels terrible about it, can't you tell? Don't worry about me, I'm fine. Come in Saya, come sit by me and tell us your good news." Answered Akemi. Saya looked to her father before moving. His stern face turned into a small smile while he shook his head and laughed to himself.

"It's alright Saya, I'm not mad at you."

"Thanks dad." She said and then walked over to give him a hug. She then made her way over to the bed and sat down next to her mother. Her mother gave her a weak smile. Everything about her mother seemed to be weak anymore. The doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong with her. She had her good days, but they seemed to be followed by two weeks worth of bad ones. Her body had grown frail, and she looked old and tired. Saya knew her mother was in a lot of pain. Saya had noticed that recently her illness had become even worse. Saya saw how worn down and fragile her mother appeared. Even through all of it, her mother still smiled, had a good attitude, and always made sure to tell Saya she loved her and was blessed to have gained her as a daughter.

"Look at this letter Shunsui-ni sent to me." Saya said while handing the letter to her mother. Akemi took a moment to scan the letter and then she let a smile spread across her lips.

"Now I understand why you are so happy, Aijou. Listen to this, dear husband; Shunsui has finally invited Saya to visit him in the Sereitei. He's letting her spend a month with him."

"Oh! Now that is exciting news, isn't it Saya? You have been bugging your brother for so long to let you come and visit him." Said Daisuke.

"He sent me a pass too; it's for three days from now! He'll meet me at the gate at Noon! I'm so excited!" squeaked Saya, "I'm going to ask Asuko-san to help me pack! OH NO! First I'm going to tell Miroku and Hiami the good news!" With that she kissed her mother, hugged her father and ran out the door to find her friends.

Daisuke looked at his wife and smiled. It was filled with sadness.

"You still haven't told her, wife?" asked Daisuke.

"No, she worries enough about me as it is. She should spend her days happy, not fretting over her dying mother."

"She would want to spend more time with you if she knew."

"She already spends too much time with me. I love Saya more than all the stars in the night sky, but she is young. She should be going out with her friends and young gentlemen callers; Lord knows there are enough of them. She shouldn't be cooped up in the house entertaining me. I've had a good life. I married an amazing husband, had amazing children and lived a fairy tale. Saya should be doing the same. That is why I don't tell her."

"Wife…"

"It is probably why Shunsui finally agreed to let her come. It would be better if she weren't here when I pass."

"She might be upset with you. She loves you. She will want to be by your side."

"I'm doing this for her sake. She will understand someday why I didn't tell her," stated Akemi. With that said, Daisuke knew that the conversation was over. He smiled again at his wife.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

"Miroku-kun! Hiami-san! Guess what?!" Saya exclaimed when she had finally found her friends. They were in the park the three of them often go to.

"What is it Saya-san?" asked Miroku.

"Yes Saya-san, what is it? You seem so excited about something." Said Hiami in response.

Miroku and Hiami were twin brother and sister. Miroku was handsome and Hiami was very pretty. Both had raven-black hair and deep-blue sapphire colored eyes. Miroku was about 4 inches taller than his twin, but was the same height as Saya.

"My brother has finally agreed for me to come and stay with him! I get to stay with him for an entire month, and I leave in three days! I'm so excited!"

"How thrilling for you, Saya-san! I know you've been asking him for years now to let you come and visit him." Said Miroku. "You know, I've been thinking about joining the academy now for quite some time myself."

"Really?" asked Saya.

"Yeah, he talks about it all the time. I would have to join too though. We both get hungry, so we know that we have some spiritual pressure. Besides, I don't think that my brother would fair well without his sister around!" Hiami said in a playful manner while she elbowed her brother in the arm. "What about you Saya-san, don't you get hungry too?"

"Well, yes. But, I don't know about becoming a shinigami or anything," Saya lied; it had been on her mind a lot lately. "I'm just happy that I get to see my brother! Although, he has been visiting more since mother has gotten sick." Saya said with a tone of concern in her voice, "I hope she's okay with me gone for so long."

"She'll be fine Saya, don't worry. Dr. Suzuki is the best around, and he always takes good care of his patients." Reassured Hiami.

Saya just smiled at her friend and nodded her head. A feeling inside Saya didn't believe what her friend had told her. Saya wasn't so sure about her mother's failing health and even though Saya tried to convince herself that her mother was doing fine, all of her mother's symptoms kept getting worse. Saya took a deep breath and shuddered off her unpleasant thoughts.

"I'm going head back home, I need to start packing if I'm going to be gone a month."

"We'll be sure to see you off, Saya-san!" yelled Miroku after her.

Saya went home and started packing. Asuko was helping her, but Saya kept trading out one kimono for another.

"Saya-sama, you will have to choose eventually, you know? One cannot be this indecisive!" Asuko said, a little exasperated.

"I know! I know! It's just that I want to make sure I have appropriate attire. What if something special comes up and I need one of my formal kimonos? Or what if I get there and realize that I'm overdressed for every day sort of things? Or what if my brother finds my garments displeasing? Or what if I dress down too much and…."

"Saaaaaaaayaaaaaaa," Asuko said in a very uncharacteristic annoyed tone of voice, "stop worrying so much. You will look lovely, you always do. Even if your clothes are not perfect, your manners will make up for it. Now please try to calm down. I'm sure all this worrying will be for nothing."

Saya couldn't help but laugh at her friend, "You're right, and I'm sorry. I will calm down. Please help me finish?" All Saya heard from Asuko was a laudy "sigh" but after a couple more hours Saya's trunks were packed with everything she would need for her month in the Sereitei with her brother.

* * *

Saya woke early that morning, just as the sun was rising.

_It's today! I go to spend a month with my Aniki in the Sereitei!_

Saya knew it was still early and that no one would be up yet. She decided to sneak up to Shunsui's room and onto the roof to watch the sun rise. After her experience with Shunsui on the roof 20 years ago, Saya now had the habit of creeping into his room late at night to go out onto the roof. She liked looking at the stars and the moon; she enjoyed the overall peaceful feeling she got when the world was asleep and she was awake enjoying the night. It also made her happy knowing that Shunsui was on his own rooftop somewhere, doing the exact same thing. But nothing made her happier than when Shunsui would come and visit. She would always sneak up to find him on the roof, and just like that first night, he would wrap her in his outer haori and they would talk until she fell asleep, cuddled into his side. Saya had always woken back up in her own bed; tucked in soundly under her covers. Saya assumed that as soon as she fell asleep Shunsui would take her back to her bed. What she didn't know is that he would stay on the roof for several more hours, trying his best not to move an inch so that he wouldn't disturb his sister while she lay in his arms.

Saya stayed on the roof for a couple of hours, enjoying the warmth of the sun and knowing that she would be seeing her brother soon. It wasn't until she heard noise coming from the house that she decided to go back to her room to get ready for the day.

"Saya-sama, did you go up on the roof again?" Asuko asked when Saya entered her room. Asuko was already making the bed and tidying the room.

"Yes, it's just that I'm so excited I couldn't sleep! So I went on the roof to watch the sunrise, it was so beautiful this morning Asuko-san!"

"You know that your mother worries when she knows you've gone on the roof."

"Yes, but what she doesn't know what hurt her." Saya said with a wink.

Asuko just sighed and shook her head at Saya, "Your mother doesn't need to have any extra stress or worry right now, Saya-sama." The seriousness of her tone sent a shiver through Saya's spine. Saya was very aware of her mother's failing health, and she already felt guilty about leaving for a month. She knew that her mother didn't need any extra strain; but Saya didn't like to think that her behavior had caused any of it either. Her features turned stoic as Saya looked at the back of the young maid-servant. Asuko, feeling eyes on her, turned to look at Saya and noticed the serious face she wore. Asuko wasn't quite sure what to think of this particular expression. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence between them in which they had simply locked their gaze. After what seemed like an eternity in that awkward moment, Saya allowed a small smirk to grace her lips.

"That's why I said, 'What she _doesn't_ know, won't hurt her.' You aren't going to tell her, are you Asuko-san?" Saya's smirk growing.

"No Saya-sama, I'm not going to tell her." Asuko said while shaking her head again. Saya cocked her head at her friend.

"What?" asked Asuko.

"Oh, nothing…." Said Saya in a sing-song voice.

"…..Not 'nothing.' What are you thinking in that little brain on of yours?" Asked Asuko, this time her tone a little lighter.

"You're going to miss me sooooooooooooooooooooo much, aren't you Asuko?" Saya said while throwing her arms around her friend in a bear hug. "Who will you scold when she's done something wrong? Whose hair will you fix in the morning? Whose kimono will you pick out, and then pick out again and again and again because she's indecisive? Who will you wake up at noon saying 'you had better get up for today before tomorrow begins?' Oh I knew it Asuko-san! You are going to miiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiss meeeeee! That's why you are in such a mood this morning."

"Saya-sama, let me go!" Asuko said while laughing, "Oh yes, I'm going to miss brushing the knots in your hair every morning because you refuse to sleep with it in a ribbon. I'm going to miss looking all over creation to tell you to come to dinner because you've lost track of time. I'm going to miss picking out 20 different outfits just so you can decide on the first thing I chose to begin with!"

Saya faked offense, "Asuko, are you saying I'm nothing more than a pain for you to deal with on a daily basis? GASP How could you be so mean, Asuko?"

"Eh, I'll get over it." Said Asuko. This time Saya couldn't help but burst out laughing with her friend.

"Okay, okay, I deserved that one, Asuko-san."

"Yes, you did." This time it was Asuko who winked. "But I will miss you being around Saya-sama. However, it is only a month and it will be over before you know it."

"Don't say that, Asuko-san! It hasn't even started yet!"

"Haha, fiiiiiiiine Saya-sama. Come on; let's get you dressed for breakfast with your parents. What would you like to wear today?"

"…………"

"Saya-sama?"

"Maybe you could pick something out for me, Asuko-san?"

"………."

"Asuko-san?"

…………………………………………

Saya opened the door to her parents' room; she was told by another servant that she and her parents would be having breakfast in there since her mother was feeling too ill to move to dining room or back patio for their meal. Saya's huge smile that she had worn all morning quickly left her face when she saw her mother. Akemi's skin had a slight yellow tinge and she looked so much weaker in just the few days it had been since Saya had caused her to spill tea all down herself.

"Don't look so concerned Saya dear. You know I have my good and bad days, this just happens to be a bad one. What a shame too? With you going off to visit your brother and all," Lady Kyouraku said. Saya hadn't meant to show her shock so she quickly covered it up with a forced smile.

"Sorry mother, I didn't mean… it's just that I'm feeling a little bit guilty about leaving right now. Maybe I should stay and take care of you?" Saya had wanted to visit her brother in the Sereitei for so long, but now it was hard to think of leaving her sick mother at home.

"Don't be silly Saya. I know how badly you want to go. You simply offering to post-pone something you've been so excited about is enough for me. I would feel worse knowing that you were missing out on some fun and excitement!"

"I know you don't want me to worry about you mother, it's just that I can't help it though. You don't look like you're getting any better mother and…." Saya was interrupted.

"Chi chi chi! I said not to worry and I won't hear another word about it. Now come in and have some breakfast! Your father will be back in a moment." Akemi said. Saya knew there was no point in arguing at this point. Her mother had ended the conversation… _clearly_ ended the conversation. She walked through the room and sat in the chair by her mother's bedside.

"So what do you think you'll do with your brother, Saya?" asked her mother.

"I don't really know. I'm sure he'll show me around; show me the daily routine of a shinigami. You know what would be really cool? If he let me train some with his squad! How fun would that be?!" Saya was sounding really excited about the possibility of learning some hand-to-hand combat techniques and some perhaps some swordsmanship.

"Oh dear me, Saya! You're not really going to try and fight with those shinigami are you? They've been training for years! You could get really hurt and…." This time it was Saya that did the interrupting.

"Mother, I'm sure brother Shunsui wouldn't let anything happen to me. And it's not like his soldiers would actually try to hurt me in anyway. I'm sure they would teach me some basic self defense or something. But it would be nice to actually learn something if I'm going to be there for an entire month. I would probably get bored otherwise, you know, just watching everybody else?"

"OH! My baby is going to run off and become a shinigami just like her brother and leave her dear mother and father behind!" Akemi said with a joking tone.

"Uh, wasn't it you and dad who signed Shunsui-ni up for the academy and forced him to attend against his will?"

"That's not the point."

Saya started laughing at her mother, "I know, I know. Don't worry mom, I'll be coming back after a month." Saya's mother just looked at her and smiled.

_Yes, but I don't know if I'll be here to welcome you back my daughter._ Lady Kyouraku's thoughts were disrupted when she heard the door open.

"Oh good Saya, are you ready for breakfast? I'm starving!" Daisuke was being followed by two servants bringing in trays. Saya noticed that there wasn't one for her mother.

"Yes, I'm definitely ready to eat but aren't you going to have anything, mother?"

"Oh no I'm fine, just tea for me. I don't have much of an appetite this morning, dear." Akemi answered. Saya wanted to protest and tell her mother she should try to force something down anyway, but knew she wouldn't get very far with her argument. So she decided not to say anything at all.

"Only a few more hours and you'll be meeting Shunsui outside the gate, Saya. Are you excited?" Her father asked with a huge smile on his face.

"Yes father! I could hardly sleep last night because I was looking forward to it so much! Plus, it seems so long since I've seen Aniki."

"You two do seem to have a special bond. I'm happy that you get along with your brother so well, Saya. It should be fun time for the both of you."

"Yes, I'm hoping so."

The rest of the morning was filled with pleasant conversation, mainly about what Saya was going to do in the Sereitei. Although Saya was extremely excited to go, she couldn't shake the uneasy feeling inside of her whenever she looked at her mother. _You will be here when I get back, won't you mom?_ More than ever, the severity of her mother's unknown disease was sinking in. Although she had been worrying for quite some time now about her mother's help, she had never been as troubled by it as she was now.

"Excuse me, Kyouraku-sama." A voice said from the hallway.

"Enter." Answered Daisuke. It was one of the servants.

"Saya-sama's luggage trunks have been sent ahead, she needs to be ready to leave in a half hour." The servant stated.

"Yes, thank you. You may go," Daisuke said to the servant, "You had better start getting ready to go, Saya. It's time to start saying your goodbyes," Daisuke said to his daughter with a smile. Saya just nodded and turned to her mother. Saya didn't want to look worried, so she forced her fake smile again.

"Take care of yourself mother and don't worry about me and the Shinigami, I'll be fine." Saya said.

"Of course you will dear. Always remember that I have felt so blessed to call you my daughter and that I love you very much." Akemi said. Saya was used to hearing her mother say that she was happy that Saya was her daughter. However, this was the first time that she had ever said that statement like it was her last time to say it.

"I love you too, mother."

"Sayonara, Aijou."

Sadness took over Saya's heart when she heard her mother say that to her. Never once had Saya's mother ever used that phrase when they had parted ways in the past.

Flashback

"You'll never hear me say 'sayonara,' Saya, unless I don't plan on seeing that person again. Saying 'sayonara' seems so final to me. The best thing to say to someone when you're parting is 'Until we meet again.'"

End Flashback

"Until we meet again, mother." Saya said, refusing to accept possible meaning behind her mother's statement.

"Come on Saya, your mother needs to rest." Daisuke said with a sad sort of overtone. Saya nodded then gave her mother a kiss on both cheeks.

"Until we meet again." She said one more time before leaving the room.

* * *

**Author's Note**: Thanks for the reviews and those of you who placed me on your "alerts" list! That totally makes me happy! Woo hoo!

I had a lot of trouble with this chapter because I was trying to transition Saya out of the Kyouraku home and into the Sereitei with Shunsui. I didn't want it be super long, because I'm sure I could have spread it out more... so I'm sorry if it's a little choppy. It took me a long time to write, and I kept going back and changing things so finally I had to stop and just accept it for what it was (otherwise I was going to make myself crazy!) I'm not completely thrilled with this chapter, but I'm not totally displeased with it either. But I hope you enjoyed it! I'm hoping that I won't take so long to get the next one up, and it'll definitely be "lighter!"


	6. Chapter 6: The visit begins

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, lucky lucky Tite Kubo does! But I guess I own this story and the original characters in it.

* * *

Saya was walking two steps behind her father to meet Shunsui at the gate. Her eyes were down towards the ground thinking about what her mother had said to her. Akemi had been so wonderful to Saya over the years. Akemi had treated Saya like she was her daughter. They had so many fun times shopping for kimonos, gossiping about attractive young men in the neighborhood, and staying up late talking about each other's day. Saya loved just being around her mother. They would spend hours in the sitting room simply reading, painting, or practicing calligraphy without even saying a word; the mere presence of each other was comforting. Saya was having a hard time trying to imagine her life without her mother in it. _No, she's not going anywhere. She'll be here when I get back. I'm just being silly, as is she!_ Saya thought to herself.

Lord Kyouraku had looked back at Saya a number of times, but wasn't quite sure what to say to her. He knew she was upset about the goodbye she shared with her mother. It was very unlike him, but at the moment he couldn't think of the right words to say to make Saya feel better. Although he loved Saya very much, their relationship wasn't as close as Saya's and his wife's. However, Daisuke was happy that she was going to be spending this time with Shunsui. If anyone knew how to comfort Saya (or at least provide a distraction) through all of this, it was going to be her brother whom she admired so much. Daisuke looked ahead again and just barely saw an odd movement from the corner of his eye.

"TAG!" Miroku yelled as he hit Saya in the arm, "you're it, Saya-san! Can you catch us before we get to the gate?" Saya had been so entranced in her own thoughts that she didn't even notice Miroku and Hiami running towards her; now all she saw was their backsides. Saya was stunned momentarily but then a smirk appeared on her face.

"You had better run faster than that!" Saya took off past her father and towards her friends. She was concentrating on tagging Hiami first because she was the slower of the two. Saya would focus on Miroku after that. Just as she suspected, she gained on Hiami with little trouble and tagged her between the shoulderblades.

"Gotcha Hiami-san!" yelled Saya as she continued on towards Miroku. _Crap! He's already close to the gate! I refuse to let him beat me today!_ Saya wasn't sure how she was going to catch up to him though. She started pumping her arms and legs as fast as they would go hoping to diminish the space between Miroku and herself. She was taking long strides and pushing off from the ground hard when her feet hit. _I'm gaining!_ Saya thought to herself.

"_You can run faster, you know? Or have you forgotten that as well?" _ A male voice said to Saya.

Saya was surprised and looked around to see who had said it. When she didn't see anyone around, or at least anyone who would say something like that to her, she turned her focus back to the running male in front of her. _How odd?_ Saya thought to herself. _Perhaps I'm going crazy?_ She shook off the thought, assuming it was only her competitive nature. Saya continued to focus on Miroku, intent on catching her friend. _Crap, he's almost there! I won't be able to catch him after all._ With one last ditch effort, Saya put all of her concentration getting close enough to tag Miroku on his back. But the next thing she knew, Saya had not only caught up with her friend but was actually standing in front of him, blocking his path to the gate.

Saya knocked her friend on the shoulder, "tagged you afterall!"

"Saya-san, how did you do that? You were too far behind me to catch up so easily." Miroku asked.

"I'm not really sure how I caught up so fast, but I did it, didn't I? I think it's safe to say that I'm the fastest now!" Saya said with a wink. They were shortly joined by a panting Hiami.

"Saya-san! How did you do that?" asked Hiami.

"Oh, I don't know, I just…" Saya was quickly interrupted by Hiami.

"It was like you disappeared for a second! I was following a decent distance behind you, then POOF! You were gone! Then the next thing I know, you're _in front_ of Miroku! How did you do it?"

Saya just looked at her friend like she was nuts. "What do you mean I disappeared? One cannot disappear. Are you sure you saw what you say you saw, Hiami-san?" asked Saya.

"I couldn't make that up! I really didn't see you for a moment!"

"It is a little odd that you were able to catch up from that distance, Saya-san." Said Miroku and little miffed. Saya was sure it was just because he had gotten beaten.

"Well I don't know! It doesn't matter anyway! I'm so glad we managed to get one last game in before I go with my brother. Um, where is my father?" Saya asked while looking around. She had forgotten that she kind of took off without him.

"Oh, I'm sure he'll be here in a few minutes. I doubt that he would run after you. How would that look? Lord Kyouraku chasing after three young people?" Hiami said to Saya.

"Oh, that's right." Then it dawned on Saya, "how did it look for the rest of us running around like idiots through the neighborhood? Oh goodness, hopefully the town gossips won't have too much fun with it. I can hear it now, 'Did you see that Kyouraku girl chasing after those two Nakamura kids? What heathens! If they were my children, they'd have 20 lashes each for such troublemaking!'" Saya said in a nasally tone and scrunched face.

"Saya, stop making that face or it might freeze that way." Daisuke said as he walked up behind her.

Saya turned to her father and smiled, "Oh nothing, glad you finally caught up with us."

"Well, I couldn't be running after you lot. One: I'm too old for playing tag anymore. Two: what do you think the town gossips would say if they saw me doing that? I'm already interested to hear what they're going to say about you!" Daisuke laughed as he finished.

"That's what we were just saying!" Saya laughed along with her father and friends.

Daisuke then took out his pocket watch to check the time. "Hhhmmm, it's noon. We're right on time; but I can't say the same for your brother."

Saya looked around and realized Shunsui wasn't there at the gate, "I wonder where he is?"

……….

"Taicho!" an angry female voice yelled at a sleeping pink-clad body. All she elicited was a small moan of disapproval. "Taicho! You're supposed to be down at the gate meeting your father and sister!"

"Not until noon, Nanao-chan," answered her captain.

"Captain, it _is _noon! And stop calling me 'Nanao-chan,' it's Ise-fukutaicho."

"Chi chi, so formal Nanao-chan. Alright, I'm up, I'm up. It won't take me but a minute to get down to the gate." Shunsui said as he smiled at his lieutenant. "What would I do without my Nanao-chan? I would have overslept and upset my dear sister."

"You have overslept Taicho, and I'm sure she's already slightly upset, now get going!" she said harshly as she pushed him out the door.

"Alright, alright. I'm off." With that, Captain Kyouraku flash stepped down to the gate. It took him only seconds to make it. The first thing he noticed was his sister looking around (most likely for him), her friends Miroku and Hiami arguing with each other, and his father checking his pocket watch repeatedly.

"I can't be that late." Stated Shunsui as he walked up to the group. Shunsui smiled at his sister, who was currently had her lips pursed and her eyes narrowed.

"You were sleeping, weren't you?" Saya said, faking a hurt tone of voice.

"Onee-chan! I'm offended you would accuse me of oversleeping on the day you come to stay with me. What would make you say such things to your dear older brother?" Shunsui asked as he started to ruffle Saya's hair. He had the habit of doing that.

"Because," Saya started to say as she pushed his hand off of her head, "you still have the indents on your face from lying on your sleeve." Saya said.

Shunsui reached up to feel his face, "Oh, I guess you're right. No use in hiding it now. Yes Saya onee-chan, I was asleep."

Saya just smiled at her brother and laughed, "Well, you're here now, so that's all that matters! I've been looking forward to this for so long! I'm glad that you finally invited me to stay, brother."

"Now Shunsui, I expect you to keep a close eye on Saya while she stays with you." Daisuke chimed into the conversation.

"Yes, of course." Shunsui answered.

"Make sure she doesn't get into any trouble."

"Yes, of course."

"Make sure those male shinigami don't think they can get too… comfortable around her."

"Uh-huh."

"Keep her out of harm's way."

"Right."

"She's in your charge now, so I expect you to…."

"Father," Shunsui cut in, "Saya will be perfectly safe with me. Nothing will happen to her and she'll return to you in one piece at the end of the month, you have my word."

"Ahem, well then," said a slightly embarrassed Daisuke as he turned to Saya, "enjoy this month with your brother. We're going to miss you while you're gone, be safe and have fun."

"Thanks father, I will." Saya hugged her father and received a kiss on the top her head from him.

"You two had better keep to playing tag in the park where it belongs," Daisuke said with a wink and then was off back towards his manor, waving as he left.

"Speaking of tag! Kyouraku-sama, Saya-san did the most amazing thing while chasing my brother!" Hiami exclaimed excitedly.

"Honestly Hiami-san, it's not that big of deal." Saya said, rolling her eyes. Although she loved her friends, she was even more excited to enter the Sereitei and start her month long visit with her brother.

"No, it was really neat!" Hiami protested.

"What was it, Hiami-san?" He was interested in hearing what Hiami was so excited about, especially compared to Saya's indifference.

"Well sir, it was at the end of the game, right before Miroku reached the gate. You see, Saya was a good distance behind him and it didn't seem like she had any chance of catching him before entrance. But then SNAP! (Hiami snapped her fingers at the same time for extra emphasis) She had disappeared and then reappeared right in front of him just in time to tag him! It was so cool looking! It was like you were able to clear 50 yards in one step, Saya-san."

"Yeah, well…" Saya didn't really know what to say. She felt a little awkward about it anyway.

"Is that so?" Shunsui asked, eyebrows raised, "Fifty yards in one step?" _Did onee-chan really perform flash step? That would be interesting indeed._

Saya looked up at her brother. She wasn't quite sure what to say but she could tell he was intrigued by this new discovery. Saya decided it was best to change the subject.

"Aniki, did all of my trunks get delivered safely?" Saya asked.

Shunsui quickly snapped out of his daze and focused on his sister, "Yes Saya-chan, but I don't really know why you needed so many."

"Uh…hahaha," Saya could feel the flush race to her cheeks. "Anyway, I guess I should say bye for now! I'll come and visit you guys when I get home and tell you all about my time here! Thanks for seeing me off!" She hugged Hiami and gave a quick bow to Miroku. "See you in a month!"

"Bye Saya-san! Can't wait to hear about it!"

"Be careful of all the men!" Miroku yelled, to which he quickly received a jab in the ribs from his sister's elbow, "I mean, have a good time!"

Saya and Shunsui walked away from her two friends waving and laughing. It was one set of siblings bidding farewell to another.

Saya and Shunsui walked in silence for a few minutes until Shunsui decided to ask about the game of tag.

"So, did you really go fifty yards in one step, onee-chan?"

Saya just shrugged, "I guess I did. I'm not really sure how I did it though. I was a pretty fair distance behind him. I've never been able to catch up like that before."

"It sounds like you unwittingly used shunpo."

"Shun-what?"

"Shunpo, or a flashstep. But usually only trained shinigami can actually perform shunpo successfully." Shunsui stated, eying his sister.

"What? Don't look at me like that. I seriously doubt that I was a shinigami. Wouldn't some captain notice if I was missing from his squad? I don't know how I _shunpoed_ or whatever. I doubt that I could do it again if I tried. I mean, I didn't try to do it in the first place, if in fact that's what I did at all."

Shunsui just smirked to himself, "What would you like to do first, onee-chan?"

Right as he finished asking the question a huge rumble came from Saya's stomach.

"Uh.. hehe, maybe we could have some lunch? I'm starving."

"Yes, I can tell." Shunsui's comment only increased Saya's blush. "It's alright, Saya. Perhaps we could invite my good friend Ukitake Juushiro to come with us? If you don't mind and he's feeling up to it, that is."

"Oh no Aniki, I don't mind at all! I'd really like to meet Ukitake-san! He sounds so nice from the way you've described him."

"Alright then, let's head over towards his division. It's closer to this gate than mine is anyway."

Saya followed her brother to the thirteenth division. She was looking around her the entire time, taking in as much scenery as she could. The buildings behind the walls of the Sereitei were quite different from those in Rukongai. All of the buildings were white with orange-red colored roofs. High walls were on either side of the street with look-out towers spread strategically throughout the grounds. Saya thought it was interesting that a circular city was built in such a grid/maze-like manner. In the middle of everything was a spectacularly tall white tower that stood even above the gigantic hill right beside it. Saya recognized the white tower. She had often sat on the roof and gazed towards the Sereitei and her eyes always locked on the tower and the hill. How could it not? They were enormous even from a distance. Saya wondered how big it would be if she were standing on the steps leading to the tower?

"Taking in the view, onee-chan?" Shunsui asked with a playful tone. He had been watching Saya look around with wide eyes.

Saya looked at her brother a little embarrassed by her behavior. _How silly of me, I shouldn't be gawking around like a fool. Have I forgotten how to behave for my place in society?_ But then Saya wasn't so pleased by that thought either. Although her manners were very good, she hated to put on heirs. "Hai, Aniki. I just don't want to miss anything."

"You will be here for a month, Saya-chan. I'm sure you will get your fill of the Sereitei by then. Now pay attention to where we are going."

"Are you going to quiz me on it later?" Saya asked sarcastically.

"Perhaps." Shunsui said with a wink. Saya just laughed a little to herself and smiled; but she did start to pay attention to the path in front of her instead of everything all around her.

It didn't take much longer for Saya and Shunsui to reach the entrance to the 13th squad. Saya looked up at the archway in front of her and then at the two men standing guard. They were dressed in the standard shinigami uniform: black kimono top tucked into black hakama with a white obi. A zanpakuto hanging from their sides. Both men bowed to Shunsui when he approached the entrance.

"Good afternoon Kyouraku-taicho," the two men stated together.

"Hello, boys. My sister at I plan on stealing your taicho for a little while, hope to you don't mind."

"No sir. Word around the squad is that the captain is having a good day today. We're sure he'd enjoy the distraction from paperwork." Said the guard to the left. They bowed again to Shunsui.

"Please enjoy your visit here within our squad headquarters, Kyouraku-sama," the other guard said to Saya with another small bow.

"Thank you, sirs. Have a nice day." With that Saya nodded her head to each of the guards and continued to follow her brother. Saya heard many members yell a friendly

"hello" their way while they walked through the division. _What a friendly squad. They all seem so nice and welcoming._ Saya thought to herself. Eventually Shunsui hand wound Saya around and to what seemed to be the captain's headquarters. Saya noticed that behind the building was a beautiful lake surrounded by Ginko trees. But what caught her eye was a long dock leading to a quaint looking house on the water.

"That is Juushiro's house. He likes to be on the water." Shunsui informed Saya when he saw her looking at the house.

"I see." Saya replied. _What an interesting place to put your home. I should like to see the inside of it someday._

Before Shunsui had a chance to knock the door slid open. Behind it stood a young man, he looked perhaps only a little older than Saya. His hair was a little unruly and spiked out in different places. The color appeared to be black, but perhaps had purple tints to it depending on how the light shined on it. His eyes were a beautiful color of green, kind of like the water in a tropical setting. Saya found him to be very attractive, even with the unruly hair.

"Hey there Kyouraku-taicho. How are you today?" He then noticed Saya standing behind her brother, "Oh, so this must be your sister? I'm Shiba Kaien, 13th squad fukutaicho. Nice to meet you Kyouraku-san."

_Hhhmmm… he seems to be like Aniki, in that he's on the informal side of things. Wait, did he say Shiba? As in the noble house of Shiba?_ Saya looked at him and smiled and gave me a low bow. "It is my pleasure to meet you, Shiba-sama. I…" Saya was cut off.

Kaien had put a hand on each elbow and pushed her upper body back to an erect position. She looked at him a little shocked that one: he would touch her in any manner and two: that a noble would interrupt her while exchanging pleasantries.

"None of that 'sama' stuff. I don't much care for it. Shiba-san is fine." He said.

Saya was slightly taken aback. She didn't care if he was more informal with her, as he was above her in society, but she didn't feel comfortable being so informal with him at the time. "My apologies, I won't make the mistake of referring to you as 'sama,' but I'm afraid I cannot be so informal with you either. Perhaps we can agree on 'Shiba-dono' for the time being?" All Saya received was a laugh.

"Fine, call me whatever you like, Kyouraku-san." Saya smiled and nodded. That's when she heard another voice from behind Shiba-dono. Although the voice sounded tender and filled with care, it sounded masculine and authoritative at the same time.

"I see we have guests, Shiba-san. Please invite them in."

"Of course, Ukitake-taicho." Kaien stepped out of the way to allow Shunsui and Saya through. That's when Saya saw who the voice belonged to. He was tall, a little on the thin side, and slightly pale; but, Saya thought that he was one of the most attractive men that she had ever seen. His hair was as white as freshly fallen snow which contrasted greatly with his dark black eyebrows. His eyes were a kind brown color, not unlike her brother's. His face was angular but he wore a soft smile on his lips. Saya caught herself admiring him and quickly stopped her train of thought. She hoped that no one else had caught her admiring the captain's features. Luckily they were all looking at each other and had missed it.

"Ah Kyouraku, I see you have brought your sister by for us to meet her. How wonderful. Your brother has told us so much about you, Kyouraku-sama; I am glad to finally get to meet you after all these years."

_I see he follows the social rules much better than his vice captain and my brother._ Saya smiled at him and then pulled her fan to cover her face. She gave the

handsome captain a polite bow before saying, "Thank you Ukitake-taicho. I am very happy to meet you as well. My brother has always spoken so highly of you; it is my honor to meet such a close friend of his."

Saya noticed the Juushiro turned his gaze to Shunsui. He had a raised eyebrow and a slight smirk on his face. Shunsui seemed to know what he was asking though.

"That was a sincere remark, Ukitake."

"What?" Saya said, a little bit confused.

"Your brother has told me about how you bestow flattery on people. Sincerely versus coyly."

"I see." Said Saya, turning a playful glare in Shunsui's direction, "I wonder what other observations my Aniki has shared with you?"

"I'm sure more than you would like to know," replied Ukitake.

"Saya onee-chan, you aren't upset with me are you?" Shunsui chimed in with a pout upon his face, "I don't know how I'd live with myself knowing I distressed my dear onee-chan." He started to come after her with arms spread wide in an attempt to give her one of his crushing bear hugs. Instead he received a wrap on the forehead with her fan.

"Ouch! What was that for onee-chan?" Shunsui continued to use a pouty tone of voice while rubbing his forehead.

"I'm sure I don't have to explain."

"So cruel, you didn't have to hit your dear Aniki." (still with the pouty face)

"Then my dear Aniki should keep his eyes open when he's trying to crush me with a hug."

Saya and Shunsui heard the laughter of two men and turned to see the 13th division's captain and lieutenant laughing at the both of them. Their gaze then returned to each other. The siblings shared a smile and then joined in with the laughter.

"Did you two forget we were here or something?" asked Shiba Kaien.

"Maybe a little." Saya answered.

"It's not the first time we've been called out for entering into our own like "brother-sister world." Shunsui said, still with a slight laugh.

"Well what is the plan? What are we doing?" this time it was Ukitake who asked.

"We were hoping that you could join us for lunch, Ukitake. Shiba-san, would you like to join us as well?"

"Yeah, thanks." Replied Kaien.

"Perfect, I was getting pretty hungry." Juushiro stated.

"You're always hungry captain. He may look thin but don't let that fool you Kyouraku-san. This man can eat like a horse after a long period of starvation."

Saya wasn't quite sure how to react to this statement. Of course she found it humorous, but how was his superior going to react to it? It wasn't exactly the most polite thing to say. She turned her gaze to Ukitake. To her surprise he only shrugged and nodded with a slight laugh.

"It's true. I can never seem to get enough."

Saya smiled to herself. Although she was a little taken aback at first by Shiba-dono's manners, she felt very comfortable around these men. They clearly enjoyed a good laugh as much as Shunsui. And, Saya was guessing, they were as thoughtful and open-minded since they were her brother's friends. Saya noted that Shunsui did not care to familiarize himself with people who thought themselves so highly over others. _These men are clearly good people_.

"Should we go somewhere or have the meal brought to us?" Shunsui wondered aloud.

"Let's have it brought here, it'll be quicker that way and I don't feel like waiting long." Ukitake answered. Saya was glad he said that because she was started to feel a little ill and was afraid that she might get a headache if she didn't get something to eat within the hour. "Shiba-san, please go order us something from the division kitchen. Make sure it's plenty of food. We'll be out by the lake when you return."

"No problem, sir." With that Kaien was out the door. Saya turned to watch him leave half curious as to what he was going to order. She hoped it was something she liked. She didn't really have any idea what their tastes were.

"Don't worry, Kyouraku-sama. We'll have a variety of foods, I'm sure there will be something you like." Ukitake said, as if he were reading her mind.

"Of course, sir. Thank you." Replied Saya politely.

"Come on onee-chan, let's follow Juushiro outside." Saya followed her brother and his friend out of the back of the office and down a small stone path towards the lake.

Ukitake scouted a place near the water's edge and layed a large blanket down on the grass. Saya had continued to walk to the water and peer down into the lake. She saw all kinds of different colored koi fish near the surface.

"Here you are Kyouraku-sama," Ukitake said as he walked up to her and handed a small bag of food, "they expect to get fed. I think I've spoiled them. Anytime I'm around they all come to the surface like this."

"Thank you, sir. There are so many of them and they are all so beautiful too," Saya said as she took the small bag and began to throw small handfuls into the water. She like how the bobbed up to take the food floating on the surface and then quickly dart down deeper into the water, only to return moments later searching for more morsels of food. Ukitake hadn't moved from Saya's side since he handed her the food. Saya felt a little nervous with him beside her. _Stop being so silly, you foolish girl!_ Saya thought to herself. She looked around for her brother and noticed that he was in his napping position on the blanket. His hands were behind his head, feet crossed, and straw hat covering his face. She allowed a small smile to grace her lips as she gazed at her brother for a few more minutes and then turned her attention back to the koi.

"It doesn't take long for him to make himself comfortable for a nap." Mused Ukitake.

"No, it doesn't take long for him to take advantage of any situation where he can lay down. But is he truly napping? That's always the question. Sometimes he's asleep, other times he's simply enjoying his surroundings. Either way, people leave him alone assuming that he's just sleeping." Saya answered as she threw another handful into the pond. Ukitake turned to look at her and smiled.

"You know your brother well." He laughed slightly.

"I would hope so. I'm sure there is much more to learn about my brother. But I admire him very much and have always enjoyed any time a get to spend with him." Saya looked at Ukitake now whose gaze was now fixed on the water.

"This makes me want invite my younger sisters here to spend time with me. But they are all married now, and I doubt that their husbands would approve of them coming and staying. Especially with all the single young soldiers within these walls." He said with expressed amusement.

Saya gave a slight chortle thinking of how her father and Miroku had warned her about the shinigami soldiers, "I suppose you are right, Ukitake-taicho." Saya threw the last handful of food to the fish. "I guess they're full now; not as many are coming to the surface for food now," she observed. Saya handed the empty bag back to Ukitake and he placed it in his pocket.

"Do you know how to skip stones, Kyouraku-sama?"

"Please sir, Kyouraku-san is fine with me."

"Alright then, Kyouraku-san, do you know how to skip stones?"

"No sir, I don't believe I do."

"Well then, let me show you." Ukitake bent down and picked up a flat rock, "Alright, you want to hold it flat with your thumb and fingers like this," he said as he demonstrated for Saya. "Then you want to release it with a little spin and a snap of the wrist. That way, it'll skip across the water instead of sink to the bottom. Watch." Ukitake released his stone and it jumped one, two, three, four times before sinking to the bottom.

"Neat! I want to try. Which rock should I use?"

"Here you go," Ukitake handed Saya a flat stone.

She tried to hold it and throw the way she had seen him do it, but all she did was manage to plop it in the water. Saya looked at Ukitake with a look that said, "uh, oops!" He just smiled at her.

"Here try it again," he said as he handed her another stone, "okay, so you want to hold it like this." Ukitake took Saya's hand and positioned the stoned between her thumb and fingers the way he had shown her. She felt herself blush slightly and hoped he wouldn't notice. "Okay, hold it flat like this… Good, now remember: it's all in the wrist." He snapped his wrist as if he were throwing another stone.

Saya released her stone and to her surprise, actually got it to skip on the water this time. Granted, it was only once, but she has to start somewhere. "Hey! Did you see that? I did it!" Saya said excitedly.

"Good job, Kyouraku-san. Now that you have the feel for it, let's see how many times you can get it to skip."

Saya and Ukitake spent the next 10 minutes skipping stones in the water. Saya only managed 3 skips at best while Ukitake set a record 17.

"Wow, that's pretty impressive, Ukitake-taicho."

"Haha, well I've had a bit of practice."

"Ukitake-taicho! Kyouraku-taicho! Kyouraku-san! Here comes the food!"

Shiba-dono was being followed by three other squad members, all carrying huge platters of food and drink. Saya noticed Shunsui sat up rather quickly for having been "asleep" and she and Ukitake made their way back to the blanket. The three members placed the items in the middle of the blanket and waved goodbye as they walked away. Saya admired all the food in front of her. She had forgotten how hungry she was for a brief time but with all the food staring back at her, she felt more hungry than every.

"This looks delicious, Ukitake-taicho." Saya said, still looking at the food.

"I'm glad you're satisfied with the spread. Please, no need to be overly polite, dig in everyone!"

That being said, everyone started helping themselves to all the different kinds of nigiri, sushi rolls, and rice balls in front of them. Shunsui helped himself to an entire jug of sake while Kaien, Juushiro, and Saya stuck with water. The conversation was pleasant and filled with laughter. Saya enjoyed hearing some stories about when her brother and Ukitake were in academy together. They were pretty tame, but Saya knew there had to be juicy ones that Ukitake-taicho was too polite to share with her. Before they knew it, the sun had already lowered a fair amount into the sky, indicating early evening.

"What a wonderful way to spend a day. A wonderful picnic with friend by a lake on a beautiful day." Shunsui said with a sigh, "I'm afraid we're going to have to end our visit though, pretty boy. I promised Nanao-chan that I'd bring Saya by to meet her. That was hours ago. She probably wants to kill me by now."

"Well, at least her reason isn't because you were flirting with her." Joked Kaien.

"How true." Shunsui said in response with a slight snort.

"Thank you so much for the lunch and wonderful conversation, Shiba-dono, Ukitake-taicho. I look forward to meeting you again. Thank you for making me feel so welcome." Saya said with slight bow.

"It was our pleasure, Kyouraku-san." Replied Ukitake, "Please feel free to drop by whenever you like while you stay here. Our door is always open."

"Thank you, sir." Saya and Shunsui waved their goodbyes and left.

It didn't take too long to get the 8th division. Well, Saya wasn't sure how long it actually took them, she was too busy looking around again and watching the Shinigami go about their usual business. Shunsui slid open the door to the 8th division office. Behind the door was a very perturbed looking woman. She had dark hair that she wore in a barrette. Her bangs fell to the right side of her face and she had very serious behind the glasses she wore.

"Aww, my Nanao-chan! Were you worried about me? Come here, I'll comfort you and show you that you don't need to be so worried about your dear captain!" Shunsui attempted to take Nanao into his arms and had his lips puckered as if to give her a kiss. Instead he took a book to the face.

_OUCH!_ Saya thought to herself as she tried not to laugh at her brother's antics and subsequent book beating.

"Ouch, Nanao-chan that hurt! I love it when you're rough with me."

"Captain!"

"Yes, yes, I'm sorry Nanao." SIGH "This is my sister, Saya. Saya, this lovely lady here is Ise Nanao, my fukutaicho."

"It's very nice to meet you, Kyouraku-sama."

"Thank you, Ise-san. It's a pleasure to meet you as well. I'm glad that someone is trying to attempt to keep my brother in line over here." Saya said with a smile. Nanao's eyes widened for a split second when she thought Saya had disapproved of her hitting her brother. But then Nanao saw the amused look on Saya's face and smiled back.

"I try, Kyouraku-sama."

"Please Ise-san, call me Kyouraku-san. It sounds so much nicer than 'sama.'"

"Yes, of course." Nanao said. Saya noticed that the lieutenant had chosen just to avoid her name altogether that time, probably because she so formal herself. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I have to be heading home. My day was over an hour ago." Nanao bowed one more time to Saya and glared at her captain and then left the office.

"She seems nice." Saya said to her brother, who was still rubbing his assaulted cheek.

"She is a very good person. Sometimes she can come off a little on the… harsh side at times."

"Haha. I think you deserved that smack she gave you. And I wasn't being sarcastic. I really do believe her to be a nice person, even if she is a bit rigid." Saya looked at Shunsui. "I want to see where you live, Shunsui-ni. Where is your home?"

"Alright then, follow me."

The two of them left the offices and walked a couple of blocks up before taking a left hand turn. Before long, Saya found herself surrounded by a beautiful garden and courtyard that was in front of a fine looking house. Shunsui walked in and Saya wasn't surprised to see servants there, awaiting his arrival.

"Good evening, Shin-san." Shunsui said to the servant, "This is my sister Saya."

"It's a pleasure to have you here, Kyouraku-sama. Your trunks are up in your room. We did not unpack them yet because we wanted to wait until you were here. We

weren't sure if you wanted to do it yourself or if you required some help."

"Thank you, Shin-san. I will probably require a help from a lady, if one is available."

"Of course, Kyouraku-sama. Please, let me show you to your room and I will send Tsukiko-san right away."

"Thank you very much."

Saya was led to her room. Before she went in Shunsui stopped her, "Do you see that door there?" Saya nodded to his question, "That is my bedroom, don't hesitate to knock if you need anything Saya."

"Arigato, aniki." Then Saya walked into her room. It was very beautiful. It wasn't as big as her room at home, but Saya hand expected it to be. It was warm and welcoming, with a very soft looking bed. That's all that Saya needed.

"I will send Tsukiko. Dinner will be ready in an hour."

"Arigato, Shin-san." He bowed and then closed the door as he left. Saya took that opportunity to walk out on the balcony. Her room faced another courtyard behind the house that had a beautiful fountain in the center. The wind caught the spray of the water so that it misted around the fountain. Saya closed the balcony doors and proceeded into the bathroom. The tub was deep and large, perfect for soaking for long periods of time. The sink, walls, and floor were made of a sand-colored marble. Saya was admiring her surroundings when she heard a knock at the door. She stepped back into the bedroom and gave permission to enter. In stepped a rather young looking girl. It only took a glance and Saya understood why her parents gave her a name that meant "moon child." Her face was round and smooth, her pale pale skin contrasted sharply with her raven-black hair.

"How can I be of service to you, Kyouraku-sama?"

"Oh please, call me Saya-san."

"Oh no ma'am, I cannot be so informal with you when I have only met you. It goes against the rules."

"Saya-sama then?"

The girl looked at Saya like she was asking for her first-born or something, but eventually she conceded, "Saya-sama." She said.

"Good," Saya said with a smile, "Do you mind helping me unpack all my things? It'll probably take the entire hour before dinner."

"Of course, Saya-sama."

"Arigato, Tsukiko-chan."

Saya wasn't wrong, it took the entire hour to unpack and stow everything that she had brought with her. Saya changed her kimono and went down to dinner, Shunsui was already there waiting for her. Dinner was nice, with the two siblings joking back and forth while they ate. Dinner was light, only some rice and beans since lunch was so heavy. Afterwards, they said goodnight and retired to their rooms. Saya was exhausted from her day, especially since she had gotten up so early.

………

Saya awoke to sounds on the roof. She smiled to herself and snuck out of her room, down the hall, and into her brother's room. Sure enough she spotted an open window. She climbed through and up onto the roof. It was a little harder here than at her parent's house, but she managed to do it without falling. She saw the familiar sight of Shunsui basking in the moon's rays.

"Good evening, onee-chan."

"Good evening, Aniki."

"Come here."

Saya walked over to her brother and let him wrap his pink haori around her. Then they both lay down on the roof and looked at the stars.

"So, you find Ukitake-san attractive, ne?"

_Crap! He did notice afterall! How did I get such and observant brother?_ Saya felt herself blush a little and was glad that it was too dark out for her brother to see. There was no use in denying his statement. She also knew he wouldn't go telling Juushiro she had a crush on him, even if the were best friends.

"I do find him pleasant to look at." Saya said.

"I thought you did. I noticed the way you looked at him when you first saw him."

"You did?" Saya said with a slight tone of panic in her voice. The last thing she would want is for Shiba-dono, or worse, Ukitake-san, to notice.

"Don't worry, I'm sure I'm the only one who would notice. You're very good at hiding what's going through your mind. I'm just very good and reading you." He said with a huge smile.

"Haha, I know, Aniki." Saya waited a few moments, sleep was desperately trying to subdue her again, "Arigato. I'm glad to be here with you."

"I'm glad you're here too, onee-chan."

* * *

Author's Note: Well, I think this might be my longest chapter yet! I hope you enjoyed it. Please review! I like to hear what people think about the story (and it helps my confidence too!) That being said, please be nice with them! I really appreciate the reviews that I've had so far! SMILEY FACE Thank you so much for reading! I had fun writing it and I didn't have nearly as hard a time writing this chapter compared to the last one! I explained what Tsukiko's name meant, but not Shin's. Shin means "true." I figured that Shunsui would want someone who would be considered a "true" person to be his head-servant. I apologize for any grammatical mistakes, missing words, and misspellings. I'm tired and don't feel like going through it again to check to see if everything is alright. So I hope no one was too put-off by any mistakes! 


	7. Chapter 7: Meeting the captains PartI

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, but how nice would that be?

* * *

Saya woke up the next morning snuggled and warm beneath her blankets. _What a peaceful sleep I had last night. _She thought to herself as she stretched her body. She threw the covers off and went into the bathroom and drew herself a bath. As she was soaking she heard a knock at the bathroom door.

"Who is it?" asked Saya.

"It is Tsukiko, mi'lady. I am here to help you get dressed for the day."

"Oh, of course. Please enter then, Tsukiko-chan. I'm ready to get out of the bath anyway."

Saya rose out of the tub as Tsukiko came in and put a robe around her. The robe was soft and fluffy and felt good against Saya's skin.

"Please sit at the vanity, mi'lady and I'll fix your hair for you." Tsukiko said.

"Thank you." Saya said as she sat down.

"Your brother instructed that you wear it up today. Apparently you are going to meet the other captains; it should make for a relatively long day. It is wise just to go ahead and put it up; that way you don't have to worry about it."

"Whatever my Aniki instructed is fine, Tsukiko-chan."

Saya watched as the young girl carefully brushed the knots out of her hair and began to tie it up. She was much gentler than Asuko, probably because she was afraid of hurting Saya and getting into trouble. Saya smiled to herself, a little amused. Surely she wasn't an intimidating person?

"Please use this ribbon, Tsukiko-chan." Saya said as she held up a sky-blue ribbon.

"Yes, Saya-sama." Tsukiko responded as she reached out for the ribbon, "This is a very pretty ribbon indeed. It goes with your eyes."

"Thank you. Aniki bought it for me about 20 years ago. It remains my favorite ribbon and I'm wearing it for him today." Saya replied. After Tsukiko had placed Saya's hair up in the ribbon, the two young girls went to the wardrobe to pick out kimono for the day. Saya was debating what would be most appropriate. It was going to be a long day if she was meeting all of the captains, so her kimono had to be nice, but it also had to be comfortable if she was going to be spending so much time in it.

"Which one do you think, Tsukiko-chan?" Saya asked. She was so used to Asuko picking out her kimonos at home and giving her an honest opinion that she just expected Tsukiko to do the same. However, that was a wrong assumption to make. Tsukiko was looking at Saya with wide eyes.

"I'm sure Saya-sama will look fine in whichever kimono she chooses." The young girl answered. Saya looked a little annoyed at Tsukiko.

"Thank you, but I really would like your opinion. I won't get mad if we disagree or anything. It's just that I have a hard time picking out things to wear. So I do really want your help. I'm not asking just for the sake of asking."

"Uh, yes, of course, I'm sorry."

"There's no need to apologize either."

"Uh, well, um… how about this one, Saya-sama?" Tsukiko asked, a little on the nervously. Saya could hear the shakiness in her voice. _Why is she so scared of me? Did I do something?_ Saya turned her attention to the girl instead of the kimono she was holding.

"Tsukiko?"

"Yes, mi'lady?" The fear in her voice only growing.

"Are you afraid of me or something? You seem so timid around me. Like I'm going to bite your head off if you do something wrong. Why are you so scared? Did I do something that would give you that impression?" Saya said with a gentle voice.

Tsukiko looked like she was on the brink of tears, "No, mi'lady! It's just that I'm new here, serving Master Kyouraku. I'm so afraid to mess up because I don't want to lose my job! My family doesn't have a lot of money, so this is a really good position for me and I can help them out a lot and so, and so….." Tsukiko realized what she was saying and gasped a little bit, "Please forgive me, Lady Kyouraku, I…" but Saya interrupted her.

"There is no need to apologize, Tsukiko-chan," Saya said with a smile, "Please, you are doing a fine job. Just be a little more confident, is all. Everyone screws up at some point or another anyway. I don't see you doing anything that would get you fired. Plus, you work for my brother. Who else could be more laid back? You'd have to practically commit murder before he would fire you. So relax a little bit."

Tsukiko just looked up a Saya with a slight smile and nodded.

"Now… back to my kimono…"

………

Saya came down to the dining room wearing an ivory colored kimono with an obi that matched her hair ribbon. Shunsui was already seated at the table reading a newspaper and sipping tea. He looked up when Saya entered the room. He smiled when he saw the ribbon in her hair.

"You look very nice, onee-chan. How did you sleep last night?" Shunsui asked.

"Very well, thank you brother. When did you take me back down to my room?"

"Oh, not long after you fell back asleep," Shunsui lied as he took another sip of his tea. It was only a little before the sunrise that Shunsui had taken his sister back down to her bed, "Anyway, I'm planning on introducing you to the other captains of the Soul Society today. You already met Ukitake-san yesterday, so that leaves eleven more for you to meet."

"Am I really going to meet all of them?"

"Yes, it would be rude of me to only introduce you to a few. The others might be insulted. I wouldn't want to do that now would I, Saya-chan?"

"No, of course not. What are their names?"

"Well, let's see. Yamamoto is the head captain. Then there's Soifon of the second division and stealth squad. Hara is the third division taicho. Unohana of the fourth. Aizen of the fifth. Ito of the sixth. Seventh has Komamura-taicho. Uh let's see, Tosen is the ninth. Saito is the tenth division taicho. Zaraki of the eleventh. And Kurotsuchi is the twelfth division's captain and head of research and development." Shunsui finished taking a deep breath. Saya was pretty sure she had lost track after Unohana. **(A/N: Ichimaru, Kuchiki, and Hitsugaya wouldn't be captains at this point in time so that's the reason for the unfamiliar names for the third, sixth, and tenth divisions. Also, I would think that Ichigo's dad wouldn't be in soul society right now either, and no one knows what division he was captain of when he was there anyway**) "Oh look, there's breakfast! Dig in onee-chan!"

Saya and Shunsui ate omelets and fresh fruit for their morning meal. Saya also had some green tea with honey to help wake her up a little more and to help calm the butterflies in her stomach. She was a little nervous to meet all of the captains. Hopefully she made a good impression on them all. _I wonder if they will all be as nice as Ukitake-taicho? I doubt we'll have time to visit the thirteenth division again today._ She was a little disappointed that they probably wouldn't be dropping by to visit Ukitake-taicho again. She really did enjoy being around him. He was so friendly and welcoming. It didn't hurt that he was incredibly attractive. _Stop it!_ She shouted in her head while mentally slapping herself.

"You ready to go, Saya?" Shunsui asked, interrupting her thoughts.

"Oh… yes, brother."

"Alright then, let's be off. We'll save Old Yama for last. He'll take it as a compliment. Like we were saving 'the best for last.' You know how old men can be." Shunsui laughed.

"So where are we going first then, brother?"

"Hhmmm… let's head over to the second division with Soifon."

Saya walked beside her brother, taking in the sights (once again). People were giving them friendly "hellos" and bowing and waving politely. Saya noted the people who were sweeping the streets and clearing out garbage cans. _They don't look much for fighting_, _I thought Shinigami were supposed to all be warriors? _Saya mused to herself. Of course, she did see others who seemed to fit stereotypical "warrior" type. Big and bulky, _hhmmm, more muscles than brains, I bet._ Saya thought to herself. Then Saya looked up at her brother. _Aniki possesses the brains and braun, although one would never know on the first encounter with him… or second… or third… well, perhaps after a few years they would figure it out._ Saya smirked to herself and turned her attention to the people around them once again. She had to admit, but Saya saw a lot of interesting hair styles and colors on the various Shinigami. _Perhaps it is because they all have to wear the same uniform, so this is their way of expressing their individuality?_ Saya was most intrigued by the hair colors. You had your regular variety blacks, browns, with the occasional blonde, but then there was also a variety of orange, red, purple, and even neon green. Saya didn't care for the neon green at all. She swore she even saw a little girl run by with bubblegum-pink hair.

"We're here." Shunsui said, knocking Saya out of her thoughts. Saya followed her brother to the headquarters. There wasn't anything interesting about this building; it was the standard white with the red-orange roof. There weren't a lot of plants around either. It wasn't nearly as scenic as the headquarters in the thirteenth division; nor was it as peaceful as the eighth division's. It seemed a little stark. 

Shunsui had raised a hand to knock, "I'd like to see Soifon-taicho for a little bit if I may."

The door slid open, but Saya didn't see anyone on the other side. Shunsui stepped through and Saya attempted to follow but as soon as she took a step inside there was a blade pressed to her neck. Saya gasped as her eyes opened in fear. Shunsui whipped around and grabbed the wrist of the person holding the blade.

"I forget how on guard you all are… all the time. I have with me a guest. I should have made that clear. Forgive my mistake." He said to the guard, he didn't attempt to hide the annoyance in his voice that his sister had just had a knife to her jugular, "Are you alright, onee-chan?" Shunsui asked with his attention on Saya. His brow was furrowed a little bit; it was clear he was upset that he had let that happen.

"Uh, yes, Aniki. I'm fine." Saya said, clearly a little shaken. _What is up with this place!_ Saya thought. 

"My apologies Kyouraku-taicho," the guard stated, "I would have never done that if I had known… "

Shunsui cut off the guard by putting his hand up in the air, "Just lead _us_ to Soifon-taicho. I've brought my sister by to introduce her. We won't take much time."

The guard started to lead the sibling pair down a long hallway towards another door. This was when Saya really took note of how he looked. The outfit he was wearing wasn't the standard Shinigami uniform that Saya was so used to seeing. It was all black, with tighter fitting pants and boots instead of the standard socks and sandals. The top wasn't a standard kimono top either; it looked like it was pulled over the head instead of being tied to stay in place. But what really caught Saya's attention was that his head and face were covered too. The only thing that Saya was able to see was his eyes.

"I did mention that Soifon was in charge of the steal squad, didn't I? He's a member of the stealth squad, that explains his uniform." Shunsui said, as if reading Saya's mind.

"Oh, I see." Was all she said in reply. The shinigami knocked on the door of the main office and informed his captain that she had two guests.

"Allow them in." Is what Saya heard in response. Her voice sounded cold and strict. Saya made a mental note that this was probably not someone to take lightly. 

The voice, Saya was surprised to see, belonged to a rather petite looking woman. She was clearly older than Saya, but not as old as Shunsui. She had a rather stern look on her face. 

"What can I help you with, Kyouraku-taicho?" she said, rather impatiently. Saya was beginning to wonder if this captain really would have been offended if Shunsui had not introduced them. She seemed to be acting as if Shunsui was wasting her time.

"Ah, sweet sweet Soifon-taicho. I would like to introduce my little sister, Saya. Saya, meet Soifon-taicho." 

Saya bowed to Soifon, "It's a pleasure to meet you, taicho." When she rose back up she saw that Soifon was scanning her through narrowed eyes. _Is she trying to figure out if I'm an assassin or something? What's with that look?_ Saya thought to herself. She wasn't going to falter under this pressure. She simply put on a sweet smile and looked back at Soifon. Soifon finally stopped glaring at Saya, apparently she had reached the conclusion that she wasn't a threat after all. 

"It's nice to meet you as well, Kyouraku-sama. Thank you for dropping by."

Saya was a little taken aback by this. It wasn't like Soifon had been outright rude, but she made it clear that their ridiculously short visit was over. Saya just kept her smile and bowed politely. However, the thoughts running through her mind weren't as polite as her outward gestures. Saya looked over at her brother who had an amused look on his face.

"What Soifon, not even one cup of sake?" Shunsui asked. All this did was earn him a glare from the rather harsh female captain, "Alright, alright. We won't take up any more of your time, Soifon. Let's go, Saya." Saya nodded and followed her brother. She was happy to step outside again. Although she did look around to make sure that she wasn't going to have another knife at her throat. Once they were outside the division grounds and a good way to their next destination Shunsui turned to his sister.

"Charming, isn't she?" He asked playfully.

Saya laughed at his question, "Oh yes, extremely so, brother. I hope to visit her everyday."

"Sorry to do that to you. But I did say I was going to introduce you to _everyone_. At least she's out of the way. She does have her good points though. She's incredibly loyal to the soul society and is a very good teacher to her squad. She excels in hand-to-hand combat."

"I'm sure she does have her good points, brother. I'm just also sure that most of these probably don't involve social scenarios."

"Too right you are." Shunsui said, "ah, here we are. Division three."

Saya looked up to see the customary stone archway that indicated the entry way to a division. She was trying to remember the captain's name, but for the life of her couldn't. _Oh well, Shunsui-nii will say it again anyway_. They made their over to the training grounds. The captain was leading his men in some swordsmanship exercises.

"Mind if I interrupt you for a moment, Captain Hara?" Shunsui asked.

"No, of course not. What can I do for you, Kyouraku?"

_Oh good, he's friendlier than Soifon_. Saya thought with a little bit of relief.

"I would like to introduce to you my sister, Saya. Saya, this is Hara-taicho."

Saya gave him a bow and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir." She stood up giving him a smile.

"What a pretty young sister, you have Kyouraku-san. No wonder you've kept her hidden all these years. You better watch yourself, young lady. Who knows? Perhaps some devilishly handsome captain will sweep you off your feet." He said in a playful manor, indicating that he was said captain. Saya looked at him and thought him anything but attractive. He was short, squat, and had lost most of his hair. What hair he did have left on his head was a sad sort of gray. But Saya assumed he was joking and took her fan out to cover her face.

"I'll remember your advice, sir. Hopefully someone like yourself can help me stay clear of anyone hoping to take advantage of me. I'm sure you would help protect me were my Aniki unable to do so." She said with a fake giggle.

The captain laughed at her, called her "cute" and then reached behind her fan to pinch her cheek. This last action didn't really sit well with Saya. She wasn't overly fond of being touched on her face. But all she did was give another giggle and raise her fan so that only her eyes could be seen above it. Originally she had held it only so it covered her mouth. She waited patiently as Shunsui and Captain Hara exchanged a few more words and then he waved bye to them and they were off to yet another division.

………

"Division four headquarters," Saya read the sign aloud as they walked under the gate. Saya looked around and saw that this must be the medical facility. It was set up much like a hospital would be. She also noticed that many of the members of this squad looked like the "non-warrior" type that Saya had seen earlier cleaning the streets and such. _I see, they may not be much use in battle, but their healing abilities make them valuable members of the protection squads._

"This way, Saya-chan." Shunsui said, apparently he had spotted the captain. Saya followed his gaze to a kind-looking woman sitting on the porch having tea. She seemed to be observing her squad members as they completed their tasks. Saya thought that she seemed very motherly, which would only make sense as she was the captain of the medical squad. She wore her hair in a rather unique fashion. It was braided under her chin and down her front. Saya thought this a bit odd, but it did suit the woman.

"Kyouraku-taicho, to what do we owe this great honor?" She said sweetly.

"Ah, Unohana-san, this is my sister, Saya. I wanted to bring her by to meet you."

"Oh, it is a pleasure to meet you, Kyouraku-sama. I heard that your brother had invited you to stay with him for awhile." She said as she inclined her head slightly towards Saya.

"It is very nice to meet you too, Unohana-taicho. Thank you for letting us interrupt your day." Saya replied with a slight bow.

"It's no trouble at all. Why don't you two sit and have some tea?" The woman replied kindly.

"Well, I might be convinced if it were some sake," Shunsui said with a smirk on his face.

"Very well then, sake for you and tea for your sister."

The three sat there with their drinks and made small talk for a little while. Saya decided that she really liked Unohana-taicho. She was kind and thoughtful. She seemed to care about all of her squad members, despite their rank. Unohana gave off a warmth much like Saya's own mother. Saya absentmindedly turned her head towards the direction of her home. She was thinking about Akemi and if she was feeling any better, or perhaps she was just getting worse? Shunsui turned to look at his sister. Her face was expressionless and he was unable to read it even in the slightest. 

"Onee-chan?" Shunsui said. He elicited no response, "Onee-chan?" He asked again.

Saya's head snapped to look at her brother, "Yes, Aniki?"

"Are you alright?"

"Oh, yes. I was just… thinking about everything I've seen in the last couple of days. I hope I don't forget anything." Saya replied with a smile. She knew her brother would pick up on her lie, but she didn't want to talk about what was really on her mind in front of Unohana. Shunsui simply looked at her and then turned his attention back to Unohana-taicho.

"We should probably be leaving, Unohana-san. I'll see you around." Shunsui said.

"Yes, thank you so much for having us. I've really enjoyed my time with you." Saya said after her brother.

"It was very nice having you. Please feel free to stop by if you need anything, Kyouraku-sama."

"Arigato, Unohana-taicho."

Shunsui and Saya bowed to Unohana and then started to head towards the fifth division. Saya knew her brother was going to break the silence between them before too long. He had easily seen through her ridiculous lie and he was about to call her out on it anytime now.

"So, Saya-chan…" Shunsui started. Saya didn't give him the chance to finish.

"I was thinking about mother."

"I see."

"Unohana-taicho kind of reminded me of mother. So I started thinking about her, and how she wasn't doing so well before I left."

"It's alright, Saya-chan. I know you're worried about mother. She wouldn't want you worrying about her, even though it's hard not too."

"Do you worry about her, Aniki?"

"Hai, I do. But it will all be for the best in the end, Saya-chan."

Saya just nodded at her brother's words, not exactly understanding their full meaning. They continued walking for a few more minutes. Saya's gaze was fixed to the ground the entire time. It wasn't until she heard a voice that she looked up.

"Kyouraku-taicho. How nice to see you, who do you have with you?"

Saya looked up at the man standing in front of her. He had wavy brown hair, thick-rimmed glasses, and a kind smile on his face. Saya couldn't help but smile back at the man. She also noticed a younger looking man a step behind him. He had silver-purple hair and a creepy smile. Something about this man didn't set right with Saya, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. However, the captain seemed to be a kind man.

"Ah, Aizen-san. This is my sister, Saya."

"Saya, did you say?" He said, looking at Saya with an interested expression. Saya wasn't sure what to make of it. "You must be his adopted sister then, Kyouraku-sama?"

"Yes sir. I was adopted a little over 20 years ago." Saya said.

"How lucky you are to have been taken in by such a loving family."

"Yes sir, I'm very lucky."

"Now now, Saya-chan. I heard about how they found you, ya know? What a horrible thing to have 'appen to ya. How wonderful it is that you're alright now, don't cha think?" This time it was the silver-haired man that spoke. Saya looked at him and tried to hide the distrust she felt.

"Yes um…."

"Oh, I'm Ichimaru Gin. Lieutenant of the fifth squad, under Aizen-taicho here."

"Well, Ichimaru-fukutaicho, like I said before, I am very lucky to have been taken in by such a wonderful family. Either fortunately or unfortunately, depending how you look at it, I don't recall that night, or anything that preceded that event. My memory stops 20 years ago." Saya said. She still felt uncomfortable and wasn't quite sure why she felt the need to share that information with the creepy Lieutenant. 

"Well, Kyouraku-sama," it was Aizen-taicho who spoke again, "I'm glad that I finally got to meet you. I've been interested to meet Shunsui's sister, especially when I heard you were going to be staying here for awhile." He wore such a friendly expression on his face. It calmed Saya's unease she felt towards his vice-captain. "Don't hesitate to drop by anytime you want, Kyouraku-sama. Our door will always be open to you." With that, Aizen gave Saya a friendly pat on the head, not unlike her brother, except Aizen-taicho didn't mess up her hair.

"Thank you so much, Aizen-taicho, Ichimaru-fukutaicho. I'm so happy to have met you as well." She said with a bow. Aizen and Ichimaru continued on their way and this left Saya and Shunsui free to head towards the sixth division.

"He seemed very nice, Aniki." Saya said with more of a cheer in her voice.

"Yes, Aizen-taicho is well liked by everyone. In fact, I can't seem to think of a single person that would dislike him, or even have something bad to say about him." Shunsui mused.

"Yes well, I can't say the same for is fukutaicho. Something about him doesn't sit right with me." Saya said.

"Oh?" Shunsui said, "Gin is a little… different. But for the most part, he's harmless."

"Yes well… still."

Shunsui decided to change the subject, "Saya, why don't we head back to my headquarters? We can have lunch with Nanao before we go meeting the rest of the captains today."

Saya smiled up at her brother, "Sounds good to me! I was starting to get pretty hungry!" Right on cue, her stomach gave a growl.

………

"Did ya hear that, taicho? Poor thing was attacked so badly she lost her memory." Gin said with a smirk once he and his captain were back in their headquarters.

"Yes I did, Gin. What a shame? She seems to have forgotten every aspect of her life prior to her attack." Aizen sat down at his desk and propped his head up on his fist, "I should like to get to know this Saya a little better."

"What do ya have in mind there, taicho?" Said Gin, his smile widening even more.

Aizen simply smiled back, "Nothing, Gin. I simply stated I would like to get a little more familiar with her."

* * *

Author's note: Thanks to Sareenah for always giving me a nice review! Also, I need to thank White Alchemist Taya for helping me with some translation errors/questions I had! Anyone else please feel free to review, but don't be harsh! This is part one of meeting the captains. I hope it doesn't feel like I skipped over the meetings too much… but hell, there's 11 of them she needs to meet and it could take forever to write if I didn't glaze over it a little! Hope you enjoyed it:-)


	8. Chapter 8: Meeting the captains Part II

Disclaimer: I don't own bleach (sad face). 

* * *

Saya and Shunsui entered the main office in the eighth division to see Ise-fukutaicho working on paperwork.

"Ah, my sweet, sweet little Nanao! You need to take a break, I'm sure you've been working too hard." Shunsui said with a grand smile spread across his face.

"I wouldn't have to work so hard if you would do _anything_ besides nap and drink sake, taicho." Nanao said in a stern voice and with a scowl on her face.

"That's not very nice Nanao-chan, you know mylittle sister is visiting and I'm showing her around the Sereitei. How could I do any work?"

"It's only the excuse that's changed, sir." Nanao looked at the pout she was receiving from her captain and then looked to Saya to see she was hiding her face behind a fan. Clearly Saya was trying not to laugh out loud. Nanao gave and audible sigh, "I guess I could order some food for us. I could use a break."

"Great Nanao-chan, we'll be up on the roof!" Shunsui said as he grabbed Saya and pulled her out of the door and then just as quickly, he picked her up and jumped up on top of the building. He set her down gingerly on the roof and immediately laid his outer haori down and got into his napping position. Saya sighed and smiled at her brother then sat down beside him. She didn't try to engage him in conversation and instead looked out over the tops of the buildings. To her surprise, she actually saw quite a few people jumping from roof top to roof top all around the Sereitei. She tried to see if she could recognize the different divisions from this vantage point, well really, Saya was trying to locate the thirteenth. She let her thoughts drift to a certain white haired captain. She closed her eyes and thought about his smooth voice, silky hair, and kind smile. His eyes seemed to hold so much warmth and wisdom behind them. Saya sighed once again and opened her eyes. She shook her head a little and smiled. _What a silly crush I have, _Saya thought to herself. Saya looked over to her brother to see that he was actually asleep and was snoring softly under his hat.

Not long after,Saya heard foot steps and turned aroundto see Nanao desperately trying to balance a couple of trays of food, and she was still carrying that huge book around with her. No wonder she was having problems.

"Let me help you with those, Ise-san!" Saya called out as she got up and walked over to the Lieutenant. Saya grabbed one of the trays and started walking back towards where her brother was napping.

"Shunsui-nii, please wake up. It's time for lunch." Saya said as she sat back down. All she heard in response were a few more soft snores. "Aniki?" Saya shook his leg a little bit.

"Huh?" Her brother responded.

"Lunch, Aniki." 

"Oh! Thank you so much, Nanao-chan, for preparing all of this. It looks delicious."

"Thank you, captain. So, Kyouraku-san, what captains have you met so far today?" Ise-san inquired.

"Um, let's see. Soifon-taicho, Hara-taicho, Unohana-taicho, and Aizen-taicho." Saya answered and then quickly grabbed one of the rolls in front of her and stuffed it in her mouth. She was really hungry after all.

"What did you think of them?" 

"Um, well… Soifon-taicho was a bit, well… she was kind of…"

"Unpleasant." Shunsui cut in.

"Uh, I guess you could say that," Saya agreed, "it was a bit scary in her squad. I found Hara-taicho amusing, to say the least, but he seems like a friendly sort of character. Unohana-taicho is very nice and I liked meeting her very much. Then we met Captain Aizen. He was very pleasant, indeed." Saya finished.

"Yes, Soifon can be intimidating at times," Nanao agreed, "Hara-taicho likes to flirt, like your brother, but is harmless. Unohana is a great role model for any female shinigami, and Aizen-taicho is well liked by everyone. That leaves seven more captains for you to meet, since you already met Ukitake-taicho yesterday. What did you think of him?"

"Uh," Saya was a little nervous answering. She didn't want to say too much. "He was very nice indeed. I really enjoyed his company and conversation. He even taught me how to skip stones on the pond."

"Yes, Ukitake-taicho is well liked too, probably even more than Aizen." Ise-san said thoughtfully. "It'll be nice once the captain has finished showing you around, then you can actually spend some time with our squad."

Saya smiled at Nanao, she was sincere about what she said. "Thank you, Ise-san. I should like to spend a little more time within my brother's squad. I'd like to see what the day-to-day routine is for his subordinates."

Lunch was finished shortly thereafter, but not without Shunsui getting hit in the face, ribs, arms, head, and face (again) with Nanao's book. Saya had to agree that he was asking for it. But she couldn't help but wonder if the Lieutenant secretly enjoyed some of the silly shenanigans of her captain?

Shunsui and Saya had left Nanao to finish the day's paperwork (poor Ise-san!) while they set off towards the sixth division.

"Aniki?" Saya asked.

"Yes, Saya-chan, what is it?"

"Who is the captain of the sixth division again?" Clearly the once-over on the quick list of captains didn't sink in.

"This would be captain Ito, Saya. He's a friendly sort, but very professional. He likes things to be done efficiently and his squad is highly organized because of it. Of course, it doesn't hurt that his current Lieutenant is none other than Kuchiki Byakuya. He's the future head of the Noble Kuchiki Clan and slated to become a captain himself one day. He too expects the highest level of competency out of his subordinates." Shunsui finished. Saya couldn't help but laugh a little. This caused her brother to look at her with raised eyebrows.

"What's so funny onee-chan?" Shunsui asked.

"Well, it just doesn't sound like you at all. I know you're a great captain brother, but I wouldn't call you 'efficient' by any means! Competent? Yes. Efficient? Not at all. You're lucky you have such a capable fukutaicho like Ise-san; so that she can keep your squad running smoothly!"

Shunsui couldn't help but laugh. He would admit himself that he didn't do his share of the work, and napped more than looked at paperwork. He also, wholeheartedly even, agreed that he couldn't have been luckier in the Lieutenant pot.

Saya understood her brother's explanation of squad six a little better once they actually stepped foot in the division. It seemed like everyone had a task and everyone was walking about with a purpose. There was no idleness to be seen in this division, unlike the others. _Well, with exception of the second division,_ Saya thought to herself, unconsciously bringing a hand to her throat. Shunsui knocked on the office doors and was given permission to enter.

"Good afternoon, Kyouraku-taicho." The captain said as Shunsui and Saya entered the room. He was a ordinary looking man. Not too tall, not too short. He had dark brown hair that he kept cut short and his face heldangular features.

"Good afternoon." Saya looked to see Kuchiki Byakuya. His voice had been smooth, and although his greeting was polite, there had been a hint of coldness. Saya believed this to be because of his upbringing. _Always polite but he is stilla noble, and they all seem to have that hint of emotionlessness to their voice,_ She mused. She couldn't help but admire his features a little. His raven-black hair was adorned with the signature kenseiken, indicating his noble heritage. His face, although incredibly handsome, held a serious look on it. His eyes were a striking sort of gray color. _He's a beautiful man,_ Saya thought. Luckily, she had seen him before from afar at some of the balls her family attended, so she wasn't as taken by his looks as she had been with Ukitake. Although this was the first time she had seen him up close, she was able to keep her blush down.

Shunsui gave a quick tip of his hat to the two men in the room, "This is my sister, Saya. I'm sure you heard that she was coming to visit me for awhile, so I thought that I'd introduce you. Saya, this is Ito-taicho, and his fukutaicho, Kuchiki Byakuya."

Saya gave a bow to the captain first and then turned to give a lower bow to Kuchiki. She held it for a second longer than was necessary in these circumstances before standing back up, "It is very nice to meet you, Captain and Kuchiki-sama." She said politely.

"It is very nice to meet you as well, Kyouraku-san," The captain answered back, "Tell me, how goes your visit thus far?"

"Very well, thank you sir." Saya said. "I was just admiring your squad when we came through. They seem to perform their tasks quickly and effectively. No doubt they wish to please their captain." She finished with a smile.

_There she goes again,_ Shunsui said to himself, amused.

The captain swelled a little with pride at Saya's well-placed compliment, "Thank you, Kyouraku-san. My men are loyal soldiers and do their jobs very well."

"No doubt they learn from example, with a captain and lieutenant such as yourselves, ne?"

_Good one, onee-chan. _

Captain Ito's smile only widened as he said thank you again and told Shunsui what a delightful young lady his sister was.

"Kyouraku-san," this time it was Byakuya that spoke, "I hope the rest of your stay will be a pleasant as the start of it." He said politely.

"Arigato, Kuchiki-sama." Saya said, with another slight bow.

"Well, it was nice seeing you both. We had better get going. More people to meet and we don't want to take up more of your time." Shunsui said. With that he gave another tip of his hat and Saya gave a bow to the two men before heading out the door.

The captain and his subordinate watched the door for a second or two after the pair had left.

"She sure is a charming girl, wouldn't you say so, Kuchiki-fukutaicho?" Captain Ito asked.

"Hai." Was all the response he got from his Lieutenant.

"She sure is beautiful as well. Would you agree, fukutaicho?" The captain said, this time with a slight smirk.

"….Hai."

………

"You didn't bestow Kuchiki with any real amount of flattery, Saya onee-chan. That seems unlike you? You always seem to take advantage of those situations when they arise and you do it so effortlessly." Shunsui commented to his sister.

"One cannot blindly throw compliments at Kuchiki-sama. He has received flattery his entire life and is used to hearing it. I doubt that the compliments he is likely to hear on a regular basis hold any true value to him at this point. I did compliment him, subtly. I'm sure he picked up on it."

"And how did you do that? Enlighten me."

"Well, for one I held my bow for longer than was needed. Since I was in the presence of my older brother, along with being in front of his superior it was unnecessary that I hold it. Also, I basically called him a role model for his subordinates. If memory serves me correctly, the Kuchiki clan pride themselves on setting an example for all to follow. Although this was done as a joint compliment with his captain, he had not been included as part of the conversation and I could have just as easily left him out of it."

Shunsui smiled at his sister and how delicately she managed to "play the game" as he liked to put it.

………

Saya was reflecting on the three captains she had just met. Captains Komamura, Tosen and Saito. Saya thought about how nice Captain Komamura was, despite his intimidating stature and helmet. Saya wasn't sure why he felt the need to cover his face, but she was sure he had good reason. But, that didn't stop her from being curious about what lay under that mask of his, and why he covered his arms, hands, and feet as well. Captain Tosen was kind too. He seemed to have a very distinct view on justice and what he believed to be right and wrong. He didn't seem to like violence of any kind, but would fightif he felt the overall result would bring a greater amount of peace and justiceto the world. Saya wasn't quite sure if she wholly agreed with his way of thinking. _Any type of violence would usually breed more violence, wouldn't it? But I guess hollows do need to be destroyed if it means protecting something greater than yourself._ Then there was Captain Saito. He was a bit of an oddball, but amusing. He had buggy eyes and electric blue hair. He seemed to like sake as much as Shunsui and they had four cups apiece during that visit. Saya had stuck to drinking tea.

Saya was starting to get tired, but she only had a few more captains to meet. She was sure that she could make it. They came into a rowdy division. People seemed to be picking fights with each other for the sake of fighting. Saya looked around, trying to hide a look of contempt that would give away how she was feeling. She didn't care for fighting merely to engage in the act.

They walked into the main offices to see a bald man sitting with another man with… _Are those feathers coming off of his eyelashes? Huh, how pretty he is._ Saya thought to herself.

"Hey there Ikkaku, Yumichika. I've come to introduce my sister, Saya, to your captain. Is he around by any chance?" Shunsui said.

The two men looked up at the pink clad captain.

"No, he's not here right now." The bald one answered.

"I hope he comes back soon, it'd be a shame for him to miss meeting such a beautiful woman." The feather boy answered.

Saya looked at them and smiled. "I'm Kyouraku Saya, it's nice to meet both of you."

"I'm Madarame Ikkaku. Just call me Ikkaku."

"I'm Yumichika Ayasegawa. It's a pleasure to make your beautiful acquaintance."

_These guys aren't so bad_ Saya thought as she bowed politely. But before she stood back up she felt two hands grabbing her ears, keeping her from rising up. Saya opened her eyes and was staring into the face of a small, pink-haired child.

"Uh, hello there." Saya said a little confused. _Where did she come from?_

"Look Kenny! Sake-san brought his sister for us to meet! What's your name?"

"It's Saya."

"Oh! Saya Saya! I'll have to think of a good nick name for you, okay?" 

"Oh yes, that's fine," Saya smiled at the little girl. She was rather amused by her, "I'm sorry, but I didn't catch your name?"

"Oh, it's Kusajishi Yachiru! Nice to meet you!"

"It's very nice to meet you too, Yachiru-chan."

"Now you have to meet Kenny! He's the strongest captain ever!"

"Oh, okay." Saya took this opportunity to finally stand and look up. When she did, all she saw was a man's chest in front of her. Saya's eyes widened a little and she slowly looked up to find his face. Saya stared a little dumbfounded at the large captain. He was looking down at her with a scary sort of smile. He had an eye patch over one eye, with a face-length scar on the opposite side of his face. His hair was done up in spikes and each had a bell at the tip of it. Saya had never felt so intimidated in her life. His spiritual pressure was hard to breath against, and his overall appearance was frightening.

"So your Kyouraku's younger sister, eh?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. It's nice to meet you." Saya struggled to get the words out. Shunsui noticed his sister was having some difficulty being around Zaraki. He went over to her side and took her arm in his. Immediately Saya felt some relief and looked up at her brother. It was like his reitsu was helping to shield her from the crushing weight of the other captain's.

"Sorry about that," Zaraki started, "I have a difficult time controlling my spiritual pressure. Anyway, I'm Zaraki Kenpachi. Nice to meet you."

Saya looked up at the Captain and smiled. "It's alright, sir. I'm fine. I understand now why I'm having so much trouble around you though, now that I've heard your name."

"Eh, whatever." He shrugged.

"We had better be on our way, Zaraki. See you." Shunsui said with a wave.

"Come back and visit us, Saya-chan! We can play together!" Yelled Yachiru.

"Or we can sit and discuss beautiful things!" Yumichika called after.

"Thank you, I'll try to come and visit!" Sayaresponded behind her. She was glad to be moving away from the captain's spiritual pressure. _Woah, everyone else must have been keeping their reitsu hidden. How weak am I compared to the rest of these Shinigami?_ Saya wondered to herself.

"Are you alright, onee-chan?" Shunsui asked, concern in his voice.

"Hai, Aniki. Thank you for helping me. I think you can let go of my arm now." Saya said as they neared the twelfth division. Saya thought it looked somewhat familiar for some reason, which she though rather odd. To her knowledge, she had never been inthe Sereitei before now.They made their way to Kurotsuchi's private lab, where he spent most of his time. Saya stepped into the giant room with all of its equipment and had a feeling of deja vu.

"_You should remember this place, Saya."_ A voice said to her. It was the same voice she had heard just the other day when she was playing tag. Saya looked at her brother.

"Did you say something, Aniki?"

"Hhmmm, no. Why?"

"Oh nothing, I thought you said something is all." Saya said, dismissing the voice she thought she heard.

"Kyouraku-taicho, I'm very busy. What do you want?" Saya looked up to see a very scary looking man indeed. His face was black and white. His eyes were a weird golden color and he long spindly fingers. _What is up with the odd looking captains!_ Saya thought to herself.

"We won't take up much of your time, Kurotsuchi-taicho…" started Shunsui.

"Good."

"I just wanted to introduce my sister Saya to you."

The black and white captain turned with interest to Saya. "Oh yes, you are the adopted sister that lost her memories?"

"Oh, yes sir. It's nice to meet you." Saya said, giving a quick bow. The next thing she knew the captain was holding her chin up to look at him. "Uh…"

"You know, I bet I could restore your memories somehow? If you would just let me experiment on you. I promise not to make it too painful, especially since you're a captain's sister and all." Kurotsuchi said to Saya.

Saya was taken aback. She didn't know what to say or how to react. She certainly did not enjoy the idea of a man like that doing any experiments on her. How could he treat her like she was just some sort of lab rat? He barely even acknowledged that she was a person. Was he just hoping to play God with her? The next thing Saya saw was a wall of pink in front of her; it was Shunsui's outer robe and she instinctively gripped it while pressing her forehead into his back. He had grabbed Kurotsuchi's hand was standing in front of Saya. His other hand had lowered his hat over his eyes and his face was wearing an odd sort of smile.

"Now now there Mayuri-san. My sister doesn't need any experiments done on her. Thanks for the offer though, we'll be going." 

Saya was glad for the quick exit. She looked back to see a pissed-off looking Kurotsuchi but didn't say anything. She allowed her brother to lead her back out of the division. He had put one hand around her wrist and the other right below her shoulder blades so that he could move her along quickly. 

When they left the division Saya stopped walking and looked up at her brother, the worry still in her eyes. Shunsui gave his sister a soft smile and a kiss on top of her head.

"Don't worry Saya, Yama-ji won't be anything like that. The worst he will do is bore you to death with one of his stories."

"Okay." Saya responded but continued to cling closely to her brother.

Saya had managed to regain her composure by the time they stood outside of the Yamamoto's office. It was past dinner time and Saya was getting hungry. She was hoping that this wouldn't take too long. She wanted to get back to Shunsui's home, eat and then go to bed. She was tired after her long day. Luckily, when they opened the doors, they saw that a dinner spread had been laid out to be sharedbetween the siblings andthe Soutaicho and his Lieutenant.

"Good evening, Yama-ji, this is my sister Saya." Shunsui said with a bow.

"Still no respect for your elders, Shunsui? Ah well, come in and enjoy something to eat." Responded Yamamoto. "How are you, Kyouraku-san?"

"Very well, thank you sir. I'm glad that I finally get to meet you. I've been looking forward to it all day. My brother told me we were saving the best for last." Saya delivered smoothly.

"Come sit. Now Saya, do you know how the Academy was founded?"

"No, sir."

"Well, let me tell you….." Yamamoto began.

Saya sat there for God knows how long listening to some very long winded stories from the old man. Saya nodded and smiled politely throughout, but made sure not to interrupt. She laughed in all the right places and asked questions when appropriate. Yamamoto seemed to be happy with her company. To Saya, he seemed like a very old grandpa that didn't get much chance to share his stories anymore. Although the visit lasted longer than Saya would have liked, she enjoyed the overall experience.

As they were leaving Shunsui turned to his sister and said, "See? I told you he might be a little long winded. He must really like you. He doesn't do that with just anyone."

"Haha, it's alright Aniki. I enjoyed my visit. But I'm happy to get home. How much longer do we have to walk?" Saya's feet were hurting at this point, after walking so much that day.

"Hold on." Shunsui picked his sister up bridal style and flash stepped to his home.

"Thanks, Aniki." Saya smiled up at her brother. "I think I'll retire to my room for the night." With that she gave her brother a peck on the cheek and went to her room. She was delighted to see that her sleeping kimono had already been laid out and a warm bath was waiting for her. Saya soaked in the tub for a little while, almost falling asleep, and then climbed into the warm soft bed. Her last thoughts before she feel asleep were that of Juushiro and Byakuya. In her opinion, they were the two most attractive Shinigami of them all.

* * *

Author's note: Phew, that took a while to write! But I'm relatively happy with this chapter. I wanted to get it up quickly to go along with the previous one. Thank you for your reviews and comments! I always enjoy hearing what people have to say about the story!

I feel the need to explain why I wrote the Yamamoto scene the way I did. I know in the anime and manga he doesn't really speak unless he feels he has something important to say… but Shunsui is one of his favorite students, and so I think Yama would have a natural interest in his younger sister. Also, I totally think of him as a grandpa type that likes to talk about "the good ol' days" when given the chance. So that's why I wrote it like he was overly talkative with Saya and Shunsui. That's all for now, I hope you enjoyed!


	9. Chapter 9: A dream and Sake

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach… still…. and never will.

A/N: I wanted to make it clear that this is not a romance between Shunsui and Saya. Especially since the question has come up more than once. They just have a close brother/sister bond. There will be no crushing on her older brother (even if she is adopted!). Also, I need to put a thanks to White Alchemist Taya (also an apology b/c she keeps having to correct me!) here before the chapter begins. I've been misusing "onee-chan." This would normally refer to an older sister, and Saya is younger than Shunsui. So no more "onee-chan," instead I will use the more appropriate Imouto or Imochan. However, I will admit that I'm too damn lazy to go and correct it in my other chapters… so it'll stay wrong. But from here on out it should be correct. There is some definite silliness in this chapter, and I wrote part of it with Sareenah and her last comment in mind ;-) On with the story!

* * *

"Who are you?" An attractive blonde (and slightly exasperated) captain asked the stranger who had snuck in on him somehow. He was alone in his lab and no one was able to get in or out easily, at least not without him knowing it. Yet here was a person standing in front of him with a zanpakuto hanging at their side.

"You can call me Ichijin." The person answered in a flat and serious tone.

" 'A gust of wind,' eh? Funny, I thought that I felt a slight breeze in here." The captain laughed a little at his dumb joke, "Then the next thing I know there's a masked samurai in my private lab. How did you get in here?"

The masked warrior pointed to a small window no bigger than about 3 feet by 3 feet. It was at least 80 feet up and located at the far side of his lab, near a corner where two of the walls met. There was no easy way to get to it or jump down from it if you had even managed to reach it in the first place. It was the only window in his private lab and let in minimal sunlight. In fact, most people didn't even realize that this place had a window.

"Impressive." The captain looked at the samurai again and bowed with a playful smile on his face, "Pleasure to meet you, I'm Ura--." But he wasn't given the chance to finish.

"I know who you are, sir." The stranger said while giving him a slight nod of their head.

"Oh?"

All the captain received was a nod in response. He kept his cool but felt a little unnerved by the fact a masked warrior was standing in his lab and he had no clue who this person was, why there were there, or what it is that they wanted. They even wore a screen over their eyes; any clue to their identity was carefully hidden underneath a uniform of black that covered every inch of their body.

The captain decided to ask yet another question, "Are you a man or a woman? I can't tell with the way you are distorting your voice."

"Kamaimasen." (It doesn't matter). The person replied.

"I see," the captain said with a smile, "Well I hope the rest of our exchange continues so successfully. To be engaged in discussion with a conversationalist such as yourself is a rarity indeed. I can't tell you the last time I was so enthralled in a topic."

The captain's point was clearly understood as a small chuckle escaped from the masked stranger. "I am interested in your work, Taicho. Rumors are that you are extremely intelligent and talented. I wanted to see for myself who this genius was that is captain of the twelfth squad and developed the Shinigami Research Institute. Forgive me for being rude or unfriendly, but I cannot reveal my identity to anyone. I assure you though, I am friendly to you."

"Oh I see; a friendly wind I have here, not just a mere gust."

Saya opened her eyes and came into consciousness. _What an odd dream? The lab in my dream was the same one I met Kurotsuchi-taicho in yesterday. Well, at least my dream contained an attractive man versus the scary black and white face of the monster I met yesterday! I wonder if the captain I saw in my dream was real? No, I'm sure it's just an odd reverie from my exhausting and overwhelming day._

_"For one who used to rely on her instincts to guide her way, you sure do throw those feelings aside all too easily nowadays. Why do you turn away when your past tries to show itself to you?"_

Saya sat bolt right up in her bed and clung so tightly to the blankets that her knuckles turned white. She could feel herself sweating due to her unease and her breathing was shallow and fast. Saya was frightened and the wild pounding of her heart didn't help. She looked around the room frantically searching for the voice that just spoke to her.

"That's it, I am going crazy!" Saya said aloud to herself and then gasped as a knock at the door startled her in her anxious state. "Who is it?!" Saya said, clearly sounding a little apprehensive.

Shunsui opened the door and stared at his sister. He wasn't sure what had made him knock on her door at that moment, perhaps it was the odd sensation he felt when he was passing her room. She looked disheveled and even a little bit frightened. Closing the door behind him, Shunsui made his way over to his sister's side and sat down on her bed.

"Are you alright, Saya-chan?" Shunsui asked gently.

Feeling ashamed and foolish, Saya looked down at the white sheets. She loosened her grip when she saw her white knuckles. What is wrong with me? Saya thought to herself.

"Hai Aniki. I'm alright." She lied.

"Imouto, if there is something bothering you…"

Saya kept silent and wouldn't look up to meet her brother's eyes. Assuming that Saya didn't want him there at the moment, Shunsui started to get up off the bed; but then he felt fingers wrap themselves around his wrist. She had grabbed a hold of him, not wanting him to leave her yet, but still her gaze was down.

"Aniki, do you ever wonder about my past?" Saya said in a timid tone.

"Your past, Saya-chan?"

"I haven't thought about it for a long time, content with my life and the love that I have received from you, Michi, mother and father. Sure, there are things that I question from time to time, but I really haven't wondered about where I came from for a long time now…" Her voice drifted off and her brows furrowed a little bit.

"Saya…" Shunsui started and then was abruptly cut off.

"Oh nevermind, Aniki!" Saya said in a chirpy voice, she was now looking at her brother with a huge smile on her face.

"Uh…" Shunsui said a little confused.

"I'm just being silly, aren't I? No need to worry about anything, I really am fine. Could you leave me now, though? I'd like to get ready for the day." Saya said, still holding her ridiculously fake smile.

Shunsui gave Saya a rare but serious look. For only knowing each other twenty years, the two siblings were able to read and understand each other considerably well. Shunsui's interpretations of Saya were usually a little better than the other way around, but still. Right now, Shunsui knew that she was hiding something from him and that something had made her uneasy. He decided not to press the subject, knowing that she would come to him when she was ready to share. Not saying anything, Shunsui left the room and closed the door behind him.

Saya's face quickly slipped into the frown that truly reflected her mood. _What do I care of my past anyway? No one has bothered to come and find me; surely I was connected to someone? No person can avoid all types of social contact; I'm sure I was no hermit. I'm perfectly happy with my life, why would I care about what it was before? For all I know, I could have been a tramp living under the worse conditions in Rukongai. It is because of father's help and protection that I am alive today. I was taken into a good home and I receive endless amounts of love and kindness. My life is good and trying to dredge up dead memories would be a dishonor to those who love me now. No, trying to find my past would be disrespectful to my family. Like I said before, I have no need to remember my past._

Another knock was heard at the door and Saya turned her gaze towards it.

"Saya-sama," a young girl's voice said from the other side of the door, "I am here to help you get dressed for the day. Master Kyouraku sent me up here saying that you wanted to ready yourself?"

"Yes, Tsukiko-chan, please enter." Saya said, grateful for the distraction the servant girl would provide.

"Saya-sama, your brother has gone on to his headquarters; you are to join him when you are finished getting ready."

"Thank you, Tsukiko-chan. Now which kimono should I wear today?"

"Perhaps this pretty yellow one?" Tsukiko said as she laid it on the bed.

"I don't know... maybe this purple one?" Saya said, throwing it on the bed in a like manner.

_Oh lord_, Tsukiko thought to herself, _this is starting out just like yesterday. Are we really going to look through every kimono she owns? I wonder if she'll pick the first one I chose like before?_

* * *

As Saya approached her brother's headquarters (in her yellow kimono), she heard excited chatter from an unfamiliar voice. The voice clearly belonged to a woman and was chipper and peppy in its tone.

"Who could that be?" Saya said quietly to herself. She knocked on main door to the office only to have it opened by a rather large chested woman with strawberry-blonde hair and icy blue eyes staring at her. She was wearing a smile and giggled a little bit.

"Oh! You must be Kyouraku-san! Kyouraku-taicho's little sister! Oh goodness, too many Kyourakus in this room! I'll just call you Saya-san to make less confusing! I'm Matsumoto Rangiku! Don't be so shy, Saya-san! I'll give you a big hug to welcome you to the Sereitei!"

With that Saya was grabbed roughly by this Matsumoto and her head was shoved into her chest. Saya was quite sure she was going to suffocate but luckily Rangiku let go before Saya passed out.

"You never hug me like that, Rangiku-san, how upsetting." Shunsui said with a fake pout. He quickly received a blow in the back of the head thanks to Nanao.

"Uh… nice to meet you as well, Matsumoto-san." Saya said while putting her hair back in its rightful place. Saya wasn't quite sure how to react to this perky woman yet.

"I was so disappointed when I heard you met my captain yesterday and I wasn't around to meet you too!" Rangiku said in response.

"Oh yes. Uh, who is your captain?" Saya asked.

"Saito-taicho of the tenth division. I'm his fukutaicho," Matsumoto said pointing her lieutenant badge, which she wore on her sash instead of her arm. Her smile seemed to be as big as ever. "Let's have some sake to celebrate your being here with us, Saya!"

"I'm in!" Shunsui joyously cheered.

"Captain, Matsumoto-san, I don't know if that's the best idea at the moment. I mean, it's not even noon yet." The level-headed Ise-san stated. Saya was glad she spoke up against the idea.

"Nonsense, Nanao-chan! Rangiku-san just wants to give Saya a proper welcome and what better way than sake?" Shunsui argued. "You wouldn't mind, right Saya-chan?"

Saya looked at her brother and then to the well endowed lieutenant. Both looked so hopeful with wide smiles and a sort of puppy-dog look in their eyes. They were practically begging Saya to say "okay" to an impromptu sake-welcoming party, only they weren't using any words.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt." Saya finally said with a shrug.

"Yay!" Matsumoto screamed and Shunsui was already handing out cups to everyone. Even Nanao took a small one, but Saya swore it never touched her lips.

Several cups of sake later, Saya was really enjoying Rangiku's company. Although she was a bit of an airhead, she was genuinely nice and sure knew how to through a last-minute party.

"So, Saya-san, did you see any attractive shinigamis yesterday?" Rangiku asked in her chipper voice.

"Hai, Matsumoto-san, there are many attractive shinigami around here." Saya answered, a bit tipsy.

"And they are?" Matsumoto asked, her words slightly slurred.

"No! Don't say anything! My little sister is attracted to no one and no one will lay a hand on my imo-chan!" Shunsui declared standing up, arm raised with a finger pointing towards the ceiling.

"Oh, lord. Am I going to have to look after all of you when you pass out? I still have paperwork to get done." Nanao said.

Saya just laughed at the scene in front of her. Although she was feeling no pain, she wasn't intoxicated enough to give away her crushes' names. She had to concentrate hard on not saying anything out loud though, as thoughts of Ukitake and Kuchiki ran through her head.

"I'm going to step outside for a moment; I think I need some fresh air." Saya said as Shunsui started chasing Nanao around the office.

But standing up and then staying up was actually a much harder task than Saya had anticipated, "Oh Lord! I'm drunker than I thought!" Saya exclaimed after she had fallen flat on her back. High pitched giggling quickly followed and she laughed at her own clumsiness.

Rangiku, who was sitting on the couch, started laughing hysterically at the fallen Saya as well. "Saya-san, can't you hold your drink?! Here, I'll help you up!" However, Rangiku tripped over the coffee table and landed on her face with her behind in the air.

It was Saya's turn to laugh at someone else, "Hahaha Matsumoto-san! Look who's talking! You're no better off than I am! How much sake did we go through anyway?"

"It was six bottles between the three of you." It was Nanao who answered, slightly irritated at the ruckus going on in her work space.

Shunsui stopped to look at his sister and friend lying on the floor laughing. He couldn't help but smile at the two, and he was happy that Saya was in a better mood than she had been this morning. That's why I invited you Matsumoto, good job.

"Nanao, please help Matsumoto back to her division, I'll take Saya home and put her in bed."

"Aww, Aniki, we were having so much fun!" Saya said, and then something dawned on her, "Hey! Why are you acting all sober now? Weren't you just behaving like a drunken lecher and chasing Ise-san around the office?!"

Shunsui laughed a little nervously as a sweat drop appeared on his brow. He looked over at his fukutaicho who was too busy helping a jelly legged Matsumoto off the ground to have noticed Saya's comment.

"I'll be back as soon as I can, Taicho." Nanao called behind her as she supported Rangiku who was still giggling and started to walk out the door.

"I'll find out who you're in looooooooove with sooner or later Saya-san!" Rangiku called out.

Shunsui walked over to his sister and grabbed her wrists to pull her up. She laughed as she kept her body limp so Shunsui had to deal with dead weight, but he lifted her up easily anyway.

"Ugh Aniki, my head is spinning."

"I'm not surprised; you did have a lot to drink."

"So how come you're not drunk? Were you just pretending or something?"

"Well, I've had a lot more practice at drinking than you have, Saya-chan." Shunsui said with a smirk and a wink.

"So you act drunk when it's convenient for you?" Saya asked as they stepped outside.

"A good observation, Kyouraku-san. You'll find your brother has the ability to step in and out of the role of intoxication depending on the situation. Well, that is unless he's had more than four bottles, then he really is drunk." A smooth voice said behind them.

_Oh no, is that who I think it is?_ Saya turned to look and her suspicions were confirmed: it was Ukitake-san. Butterflies must have been having a war in Saya's stomach and she felt the heat rise to her face. _Of all times, he comes when I'm a drunken idiot? I'll never be able to face him again after this! What will he think of me?_

Shunsui felt his sister stiffen next to him and couldn't help but smile to himself, knowing full well she had a crush on Juushiro. She's probably embarrassed to be seen by Ukitake in her present state of being.

"What brings you here, pretty boy?" Shunsui asked.

"Oh, I was just feeling like I needed a bit of company and entertainment, so I thought the best place to get that would be in the eighth division with you two. However, I can tell that I'm too late for the party. What a shame I missed it?" Juushiro said in his light tone.

"I'm sorry but you have missed the fun Juushiro. In fact, I'm just taking my sister back to the manor so that she can sleep off the fun she had."

"Uh… well, if you and Matsumoto hadn't started it…" Saya was cut off.

"Oh! Kyouraku-san, you were up against Shunsui and Rangiku? You had no chance of leaving this office in anything but an intoxicated state."

Saya finally met Ukitake's eyes and smiled, feeling that she wasn't going to be judged poorly for getting drunk in the middle of the day. His white hair blowing slightly in the breeze and the playful smile upon his lips made him look all the more dreamy.

"Come Saya-chan, let's get you back into bed." Shunsui said gently.

"I'll come and visit another day," Juushiro stated, Saya swore there was the slightest hint of disappointment in his voice.

"Please do, Ukitake-san. It would be nice to visit with you a little more. I so enjoyed the time we shared the other day." Saya said while bowing her head slightly but then quickly stopped when the dizziness increased, she grabbed onto her brother's arm tighter so as not to fall over.

A small smile graced Juushiro's lips, "I'll be sure to." With that he turned away from Saya and Shunsui to start walking back towards his division.

Shunsui decided that carrying Saya would be easier than having her try to walk. He kneeled down and told her to climb on so that he could piggy-back her to the house. Even though the house was only a ten minute walk away, Saya fell asleep on Shunsui's back after only a couple of minutes, her head on his shoulder. With the help of Shin-san, he laid Saya on the bed and covered her with a light blanket before leaving the room.

"Shin-san, I will be heading to my parents' home for a little while. I'm guessing Saya will sleep for a few hours. If she wakes up, please tell her that I wish her to stay on the manor grounds and wait for me to get home. I'll be back in time for the evening meal."

"Hai, sir." The servant said while bowing low to his master.

"Arigato, I'll be back soon. Oh, and don't tell her where I've gone."

"Hai."

Shunsui left his home and made his way to the gate that led to the Rukongai, in no time at all he was knocking on the door of his parents' manor.

* * *

Author's note: Thank you again to everyone who reviewed and commented. Sareenah, I hope you enjoyed the exchange with Matsumoto! From this point on more and more of Saya's past is going to be revealed. I'm still on the fence about her starting up any sort of romance with either of her crushes (Ukitake and Byakuya, obviously), so let me know what you think! I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter and stay tuned for the next one.

OH! This has nothing to do with Bleach, but I'm also a huge Death Note fan, and I just recently watched the live action Death Note movie, and now I have a HUGE crush on Matsuyama Ken'ichi, who played the detective L. Felt the need to share that!


	10. Chapter 10: Mother

Disclaimer:I don't own Bleach (do I still need to put this?)

* * *

The door to the Kyouraku household opened to allow the younger son entry. Receiving a bow from one of the servants, Shunsui stepped through the door and into the foyer.

"How is Saya doing, Shunsui?" The deep voice of Daisuke asked as he walked around the corner to greet his son.

"She is doing well, although I can tell mother's condition is constantly on the back of her mind. I think something else is bothering Saya as well, but I haven't been able to figure it out yet."

"How did you manage to come here without Saya? I'm sure she would have insisted to come along with you had she known."

"Well," Shunsui laughed a little, "She's currently passed out from consuming a large amount of sake."

"SHUNSUI! I let her go out of the house for three days and you allowed her to get drunk to the point of passing out?" Daisuke wasn't pleased to hear this news.

"No father, it wasn't so much that she _passed_ out, more like she just fell asleep because of drinking a large amount of alcohol. Don't worry, she's safe and sound in my manor and I was with her the entire time."

"Was it you that gave her this sake, Shunsui?" His father asked while eyeing him heavily.

"Well, Matsumoto-san was there too…" Shunsui said while rubbing the back of his head.

"Nevermind, I'm sure she's fine.I know you wouldn't let any true harm come to her." Daisuke said taking a few breaths to hopefully calm down enough to keep from hitting his son upside the head.

Smiling at his father, Shunsui was thinking, _I bet he's trying not to hit me right now._

"How is mother?" A grave tone covered Shunsui's words.

Daisuke looked down for a brief moment before answering, "She's… not well."

Shunsui simply nodded once indicating that he understood. "I would like to see her."

A son looked at his mother lying on the bed. She was beyond thin with her skin hanging off of her bones. Her face was sunken in giving her an overall skeletal appearance. What should have been the whites of her eyes were now tinged yellow. A shallow, ragged, and slow breath escaped from her mouth. Sluggishly, the woman turned her head to look at the son that was standing at her side and a deliberate smile graced her frail lips.

"Shunsui, how glad I am to see you.You've come to wish your mother farewell, have you?"

"I have mother. I wanted to be able to see you one last time before you pass on."

"Shunsui, you and your brother have always been such good sons. Then Saya came into our lives and I felt that our family was complete. I'm so proud of all of you; I have no regrets to take with me. No person has led a happier life than I have." Her words were almost as soft as a whisper when she spoke, her phrases short and haggard sounding.

Shunsui watched how hard it was for his mother just to get a few simple sentences out. "Please mother, don't speak anymore and save your strength. I'm glad that I got to see you, one last time."

"Worrying about me, Aisoku?" (Beloved son) Akemi said with a smile, "Try not to and I'll speak as much as I want to. Tell me, how is Saya?"

Shunsui couldn't help be chuckle and his mother's stubbornness, "She is well mother, and she seems to be enjoying the Sereitei. In fact, I'm pretty sure she's developed a crush on my good friend Ukitake Juushiro, you've met him. And, if I am right, she probably fancies Kuchiki Byakuya as well." Shunsui decided to leave out the part where he got her drunk and she was currently sleeping it off.

"Oh yes, I remember Ukitake-san. He's that good looking man with the white hair and kind smile. I can see why Saya would have a crush on him. But Kuchiki Byakuya? He may be very handsome, but he's just so… cold."

"Like you said, mother, he is very handsome." Smirked Shunsui.

Akemi's tone turned serious, "Shunsui, do you think Saya will understand why I couldn't let her be here with me when I go?"

"I'm not sure, mother."

Akemi sighed and turned her head to look out the window. "When Saya first came to us, I could see how upset she was. She didn't know who she was, where she came, or what happened to her. Although she tried not to let it show, I could tell that she was scared and worried. It took some time before those feelings left her. I know it's silly to think that she isn't worrying now, and that she won't be upset when I die. But I didn't want her to see me in my final days as a weakened body. Instead of being constantly reminded of my impending death, she is out enjoying herself and isn't surrounded by misery. This is for the best; her being with you when it happens. Shunsui, please let Saya know how much I love her."

"Of course, mother."

"And Shunsui…"

"Yes?"

"I love you, very much."

"I love you too, mother."

* * *

"I think that you're a female, Ichijin." The blonde captain said while mixing some vials together.

"Oh? What makes you say that?" An amused Ichijin responded.

"Your movements just seem to be altogether more feminine. Even though that uniform is somewhat baggy and doesn't give away your shape, and you continue to distort your voice with some sort of device, I can tell by the way you walk, your posture, and even the way you sit. All of them reflect that you're most likely a female, or at least a very effeminate male." He said with a light tone.

Ichijin just laughed.

"You won't tell me if I'm right though, will you?" The captain asked.

"Nope. So are you going to tell me what you're making over there, Taicho?"

"I'm developing an artificial body for shinigami to use in the material world. If they become severely injured, they will be able to use this to heal until their powers return."

"Interesting, when do you think it will be perfected?"

"I'm not sure; it's in the initial stages at the moment. So you're not part of the stealth squad, your uniform doesn't match theirs."

Ichijin couldn't help but smile beneath her mask. Over the past couple of months she had grown used to this back and forth banter between them. He would ask a question to try and figure out her identity, she would usually respond with a vague answer (if she gave him one at all) and then she would ask him a question about his latest experiment or try to change the subject, and so on. "I guess with that reasoning you could deduce that I am not a part of the stealth squad…I hear you're very friendly with its commander, Shihoin Yoruichi-sama."

Ichijin observed the captain stiffen for a split second but then he quickly relaxed, "I've known her since childhood, and we used to play together. You are a shinigami, you must be, you carry a zanpakuto and I can sense your reitsu."

"Did I say I wasn't one?"

"No, but you didn't say that you were."

"If you base your definition of a shinigami on the fact that someone possesses reitsu and carries a zanpakuto, then I wouldn't say you were wrong."

"Are you saying I'm right?'

"I didn't say that either. I'm simply saying based on your definition then I would be a shinigami."

"What else would you be?!"

"I don't know.I'm not the one who asked the dumb question in the first place."

* * *

Saya opened her eyes and saw a man standing in front of her. He smiled slightly as he looked down at her, like she was an old friend he hadn't seen in years. Stunning was the only word to describe what he looked like. Wind-blown black hair framed his handsome face and his amethyst eyes bore into her very core. He wore a black mandarin collar suit that was trimmed in a purple that matched his eyes perfectly.

Saya allowed her gaze to wander from his face to her surroundings and she saw nothing but a field full of fox gloves and Jacaranda trees. A constant, but playful breeze made it look as though the flowers and branches were dancing to a soft melody that only they could hear. This had to be the most beautiful and peaceful place that Saya had ever been to.

"Saya, wake up."

"What did you say?"

"Saya, it's time to get up." She could feel herself being shaken slightly.

This time when Saya opened her eyes she saw her brother's face. He was standing over her and shaking her slightly to wake her out of her deep slumber.

"Saya, are you awake now?" Shunsui asked.

"Hai, Aniki. What are you doing?"

"It's best if you get a little something in your stomach. Do you think you can handle anything to eat?"

It was then that Saya felt the full weight of her earlier binge-drinking incident. "Ugh Aniki, my head! I don't know if I could eat more than some soup. Food sounds gross to me right now."

"Haha, that's what I thought you might say.But some soup will do you some good, trust me."

"Okay, Aniki."

Shunsui looked at his sister slightly amused for a moment. "You know?I almost didn't wake you up. You looked so peaceful, more peaceful than I had ever seen you before."

Saya's thoughts took her back to the dream she was having, "Hai Aniki, it was a peaceful dream," and then she smiled up at her brother.

Saya choked down some miso soup while her brother ate udon noodles with shrimp tempura. Looking at his food almost made Saya sick to her stomach, but luckily nothing came up.

"So what were you dreaming about anyway, Imo-chan?"

Saya furrowed her brow a little bit, "I'm not really sure, Shunsui-nii; I can't say that I really understand my dream or even remember it clearly now. But I was happy in my dream. I remember feeling like I was content, at peace with everything around me."

"What a lovely state to be in, ne?"

Saya just chortled a little, "Hai Aniki, it is."

* * *

The next few days were relatively uneventful. Saya had stayed within the 8th division or on the manor grounds. When Saya wasn't following her brother around, she liked to sit by the fountain or under the sakura tree and read one of the poetry books that Shunsui had in his vast library. But Saya's tranquil state didn't last long.

Shunsui opened his eyes and looked at his ceiling. The moonlight flooded his room which made his belongings cast long shadows on the floor. _Did I just hear someone on the roof? Could it be Saya-chan? _Then he laughed to himself, _who else would it be? She's the only other one around here that makes a habit of sneaking onto the roof late at night. _That's when it hit him. Shunsui flashed onto the roof to see Saya standing there in her sleeping kimono, shaking from the night's chilly breeze. She was hugging herself in a vain attempt to keep warm while she wept silently. Saya's gaze left the direction of their parent's house to look at her brother. Tears stained her face, but the light from the moon made them glisten with a sad beauty while rolling down her cheeks.

"Shun…sui?"Saya managed the get out while she sobbed.

"Saya-chan." Shunsui said as he stepped towards his sister. He hadn't brought anything to wrap her in to help keep her warm, so he pulled her into a hug. Burying her head in his chest she continued to cry while her brother smoothed the back of her hair.

"I… can't… feel… her… anymore, Aniki. I can't feel her."

"I know, Saya-chan." He held onto her tighter, trying not to shed his own tears. Shunsui was determined to be strong for his sister.

"She's… not… with… us."

"No, Imouto."

"I… didn't… even… get… to… say… goodbye. I… didn't… get… to… tell her that… I love her."

"Saya, she knew. You know she loved you too."

"But I…"

"Saya-chan, it's okay." Shunsui said in his gently voice, attempting to calm his sister.

"NO!It's not okay!" Saya exclaimed and pushed her brother away angrily, "She tried to tell me goodbye before I left and I didn't say it back. I didn't do it properly! I can't even remember if I told her I loved her the last time I saw her! It is NOT OKAY! "Saya was almost yelling and her tears were coming out even hard than before. "You got to tell her goodbye, didn't you Aniki? You were able to say a suitable farewell and tell her you loved her! That's where you were the other night while I was napping off all that sake! I could tell that you had been to see mother, I could smell her medicinal ointment on you!" Saya spat out at her brother. "How could you do that?! How could you not take me with you?" The look in her eyes was cold and her attitude callous towards her brother.

Shunsui looked at his sister dumbfounded. In twenty years, Shunsui had never seen Saya act this way. He didn't even know that she had it in her to be so upset. Not knowing what to do, Shunsui didn't answer. He simply stood there while his sister glared at him. An odd wind whipped around them both, blowing their hair about and making it lash at their faces.

"Well, brother?" Saya said in a harsh tone.

Shunsui sighed, "Saya-chan, please try to understand, the last thing that I wanted to do was hurt or upset you in anyway. But mother asked that you not be brought to her.

Saya's gasped and her eyes opened in shock. "What did you say?" This time her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Don't you see, Saya? Mother just didn't want you to be sad. She said you were so upset when you were first brought into the home and she only wanted for you to be happy. She wanted you to remember her as she was before she fell ill, not weak and pathetic. But above all else, she wanted me to tell you that she loved you so much more than you would truly be able to comprehend."

Now it was Saya's turn to look dumbfounded. She walked over to her brother and grabbed the sleeves of his kimono, she then feel to her knees and began sobbing harder than before. "How could she ever think that I would look at her as weak and pathetic? She was the kindest and strongest woman I know. She was and will always be my mother."

Shunsui kneeled down in front of his sister and took her into his arms once more, "I know, Saya."

"Forgive me, Aniki. I had no right to act that way towards you. I didn't need to say those things. I'm so ashamed. I am not the only one here tonight who has lost a parent."

"It's okay, Saya. You were upset; all is forgiven."

"Aniki?"

"Yes, Saya?"

"Arigato." She whispered.

Shunsui just held on tighter to his sister. He didn't want her to see his tears.

* * *

Author's note: I'm sorry for the depressing chapter, but it had to be done.

Thank you to those who added my story to your favorite's list, alerts list, and me to your favorite author's list. It makes me happy to think about (especially after writing a sad chapter like this one). Please comment and review, they help me to get motivated to keep writing and get the chapters out quicker! HINT HINT!


	11. Chapter 11: Sayonara: Final Goodbye

Disclaimer: Once again I am going to state that I don't own Bleach.

* * *

Saya was staring up at the ceiling from her bed in her brother's house. It was already late afternoon, perhaps even early evening, Saya didn't know nor did she care about the time. Her mind kept telling her that she needed to get out of bed, but her body refused to listen. She just lay there, staring at the ceiling, not moving an inch. Tsukiko-chan and Shin-san had tried to tempt her with food, but she refused to eat. The only person that Saya wanted right now was her brother, but he had to go and help father with the preparations for the funeral. She still felt guilty about the way she had treated him the night before and thought that his presence would make her feel more at ease.

_I want him near me just to make myself feel better?_ _How selfish I am._

But her thoughts quickly took her back to her mother and how Saya hadn't said good-bye. _I ignored her when she was trying to tell me. I told her that I'd see her again and didn't pay attention to the fact that she was giving me the chance to tell her then. I didn't want to tell her goodbye, I still don't want to say it._

Tears began to form behind her eyes like that had so many times that day. They made their escape and ran down her cheeks. Saya didn't move to wipe them away. She just lay there on her back, looking at the ceiling, crying.

"Mother." She whispered.

A little while later Saya heard muffled voices outside of her door and felt some relief when she recognized one belonged to Shunsui's. Then her door opened and in stepped her brother. Saya didn't take her eyes of the ceiling, but she was happy that he was in her room. Shunsui walked over to the bed and sat down next to her sister. He looked at his sister with a deep concern etched in his face.

"Saya-chan, they told me you haven't eaten anything all day. They said that you've just laid here looking up at the ceiling."

Saya didn't say anything.

"Imouto, it's after nine at night. Did you even know the whole day has passed? Saya?"

Saya didn't say anything, she just blinked.

Shunsui sighed and walked into the bathroom. He took a washcloth from the linen closet and soaked it with warm water before taking it back out to his sister. "Your face is stained with your tears, Imo-chan. Here, let me help you." Shunsui started to wipe Saya's face clean with the cloth.

_I truly am pathetic_, Saya thought to herself. She then grabbed Shunsui's wrist to make him stop. "If you want me to eat, Aniki, I will eat." Her tone was flat and she still hadn't looked at Shunsui. As if on cue, Tsukiko brought in a bed tray and set it down next to Shunsui. Saya didn't move until Tsukiko had left the room. The truth was that Saya didn't feel like eating anything, but she started to pick at some of the fruit to appease her brother.

Shunsui watched his sister take small bites; she seemed to playing with her food more than actually eating it. "When you're done eating, take a bath and then come down to my room. I need to tell you about the arrangements that father, Michi, and I made today concerning the funeral."

"Yes, Aniki." Saya replied. Shunsui placed a hand on Saya's head for a second before getting up and walking out of the room. Saya watched her brother leave. _I've been saying to myself that I've wanted him here all day; now that he is, I don't say anything to him. I'm not making things any easier._

* * *

With fingers that were still wrinkled and pruny from her long bath, Saya lifted her hand to knock on her brother's bedroom door.

"Enter."

Saya opened the door and stepped through. Her brother was sitting at a desk that was placed in front of a large picture window with a view of the garden. He continued to work on whatever it was that was keeping him busy and Saya just stood there waiting for him to speak.

"That's not like you, Saya-chan." Shunsui said after a few minutes of silence.

"What do you mean?"

"You usually have no problem making yourself comfortable whenever you are in my presence. Now you stand there waiting for me to give you permission to sit down? It's odd."

"I'm sorry, Aniki."

"……You don't need to be sorry, Imouto."

Saya went and sat on the edge of his bed and stared at his back until he was done with his writing. Saya wasn't really sure if she should say anything and was afraid that maybe her brother really was mad at her for last night. Neither of them were really acting like themselves.

"Would you like to know about the funeral?" Shunsui asked, finally turning towards Saya.

She nodded a response, feeling a knot form in her stomach.

"The otsuya (showing/wake) will take place in four days. It will be at our father's home, the servants are already making the necessary preparations for the amount of people that will be coming in and out of the home that day. The ososhiki (funeral service) will begin at 10 a.m. the next day and that too will be held in our father's home. After that, we will make our way to the kasoba (crematorium)." Shunsui stated. The manner in which he spoke had been so matter-of-fact that it took Saya by surprise. "We will be returning to our father's home the day before the otsuya."

"Hai Aniki."

"So prepare what you need to take back with you. I suppose we'll be staying for a few days after the service as well."

"Hai."

Shunsui looked at his sister with a face that was hard for her to read. She didn't quite know what to make of it. "Saya?"

"Yes, Aniki?"

"Please don't be so timid around me. I'm not mad at you for what happened last night. I know that you were upset and you had and have every right to be. But with you not acting like yourself, it makes everything a little harder. I know that's selfish of me to say; telling you to not to behave the way you're feeling because it'll make me feel better, but that's what I would like to see."

You couldn't call what appeared on Saya's face a smile, but her lips curled up slightly and her face softened a bit. "I can't promise to be as happy as I usually am brother, but I won't treat you differently. I'm sorry too. I can't say that you're being selfish though. All day I've just wanted you home, and then when you got here I acted peculiar. I guess I just feel… with mother gone… I mean…"

"It's okay, Saya," Shunsui said while standing up and walking over to his sister. He sat down on the bed beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "It's for the best, you know? She was suffering more and more each day. It would have been cruel if she had lived any longer than what she did. Mother didn't deserve that. Besides, we should be thinking of all the happy times we spent with her, because that is what she would want us to focus on."

"Yes aniki, you're right as always." Saya thought for a minute. "Aniki, would it be alright if I stayed in here with you tonight?"

Shunsui was silent for a moment while thinking it over, "Sure Saya, it'll be different than being on the roof, ne?"

"Mmhhmm." With that Saya climbed over to "her" side of the bed and started to get under the covers. She put a pillow in the middle to separate her side from Shunsui's and drifted off into sleep rather quickly.

* * *

When Saya stepped into her home the overall feeling had changed drastically. It didn't feel like the tender and loving environment she was used to. Instead, a blanket of sorry and mourning lay over the Kyouraku manor. The house felt cold without Akemi's warmth radiating through it. The servants bowed politely to Shunsui and Saya, but even they did not possess the same kindly manner as usual. It was to be understood, however; Lady Kyouraku was well-liked by all.

"Hello, Shunsui, Saya; it is good to have you both home." A sad voice greeted them.

"Good evening, father." Saya said and went to hug him. He placed one arm around her shoulders and the lay his other hand on top of her head. When she looked up at him she saw his eyes were filled with heartbreak and depression. What else had she expected to see from someone who had lost his soul mate?

"Your things have been taken to your rooms already. It's getting close to dinner time, so go get ready and do whatever you need to do. We will be eating in a half hour. Michi and Kikyo will be here by then as well. You can see how big she's gotten, Saya. She'll be ready to have that baby in the next few weeks the doctors say."

The thought of becoming an aunt brought a slight smile to Saya's face. However, she was quickly upset by thinking that her mother would never know her first grandchild.

Saya and Shunsui left their father and went to their respective rooms to ready themselves for dinner.

"Asuko-san, I'm glad to see you're already in here."

"Well Saya-sama, I couldn't have you getting ready for dinner all by yourself, could I?" The young maid-servant asked.

A slight smirk came to Saya's face, "I knew you would miss me. I've only been gone for a little over a week too."

"I have to say, it does make my mornings easier not having to pick out 20 kimonos for you to debate upon."

"Yes I'm sure. Poor Tsukiko-chan has that job at my brother's home. Although she's very sweet, she doesn't seem to handle my indecisiveness as well as you. But then again, she hasn't had twenty years of practice." Saya looked at her friend for a moment, "Asuko-san, I'm glad you're here."

Asuko gave Saya a slight bow, "I am happy to be available for my lady."

* * *

Saya lay in bed staring up at the ceiling. Her body was tired but her mind refused to slow down enough for Saya to fall asleep. Dinner had been relatively uneventful. It was quieter than usual, but Shunsui and Michi did manage to share some heartwarming stories about their memories with their mother. Saya didn't feel like she wanted to contribute. Everything was going pretty smoothly until Kikyo had started crying at one point towards the end of dinner. It was almost amusing to see her sob into her noodles. Michi had done his best to comfort her, but she had to excuse herself from the table.

"Gomen, it's just that with these hormones going all crazy I can't seem to control my crying. I'm so sorry." She had said as she got up and waddled out of the room, she was very pregnant after all.

Saya sighed and debated about sneaking up to Shunsui's room to get on the roof. She hadn't heard any noises indicating that anyone was out there, but at the same time it didn't mean he wasn't up there. Her body protested but her mind egged her on until she got out of bed and took her usual path through the house. She slowly cracked the door to see that her brother was in fact, still in bed. She tip toed in, not sure if he was awake or asleep.

"Saya-chan, what are you doing?" Shunsui asked his sister.

"Gomen, Aniki. I just wanted to go on the roof for little bit, that's all."

"Can't sleep, Saya?"

"No Aniki."

"Well, go on through, I don't feel much like joining you tonight, if that's alright with you."

"Ne, Aniki. It's fine."

Saya climbed through his window and stood in the cool night's breeze on top of the roof. She gazed towards the Sereitei and its huge white tower. _I felt so far away from everything when I was behind those walls. The Sereitei has a funny way of making you feel so separated from the outside world._ Saya thought to her self.

* * *

Saya soon found herself in the field full of fox gloves and jacaranda trees. But instead of the gentle breeze she felt before, the wind had turned fierce and whipped through land. The trees, grass, and flowers trembled and bowed low in forced submission to the harsh winds. The rain came down and was blown horizontally so that it smacked Saya in the face and stung her cheeks. Then standing alone in the field, being beaten by the storm, was the strange man with purple eyes and black hair that she had seen before. Saya ran over to him.

"What's happening?"

"The turmoil you feel in your heart is manifested in this way here in my world."

Saya's gaze slowly dropped to the muddy ground beneath her feet……..

A little more than hour later Shunsui went to check on Saya. He found her curled up on her side, fast asleep. He walked over to his sister and gently picked her up to take her back down to her bed.

"I'm sorry I caused the storm." Saya mumbled in her sleep.

Shunsui looked at her in a curious manner, wondering what it was she was dreaming about.

* * *

Saya was dressed in a black kimono, black obi, and a black ribbon in her hair. To her knowledge, she had never been to an otsuya before. It all seemed a bit surreal. Saya was standing at the entry way to her family's grand parlor room with her father, two brothers, and sister-in-law. The parlor room was used for formal events and could easily fit 150 people for gatherings. Saya had seen it decorated several times for proper gatherings; it was always so lively and gave off a sense of excitement when one entered the room. Today was different though.

The only décor in the room were what surrounded her mother's coffin. The coffin itself was draped in a stunning gold obi-type fabric. Above the coffin was a huge poster-sized picture of Akemi in her younger years. Her face was smiling and so full of life and happiness. None of the faces looking at the poster reflected those feelings, however. Vases full of chrysanthemums and lilies surrounded the coffin creating sort of a wall of flowers; and in front was a small table with two tall candles and a bifurcated box of incense between them. The left side of the incense was smoldering, while the right remained untouched, waiting.

Dozens of relatives, neighbors, and long time friends (many whom Saya had never met) came by to pay their respects. The people filled their home with a constant buzz of conversation. When they weren't in the parlor saying their kind words of condolence to the family, they were talking about anything from how tragic Akemi's passing was to the latest style of kimonos that were seen in town amongst themselves.

Saya stood in a line with her family for what seemed like hours, everyone she knew and didn't know would tell each member of her family how sorry they were for their loss; she lost count of how many times she would say, "Thank you for your kind words," to the people standing across from her. Often times, and Saya was at first surprised by this act; people who she was unfamiliar with would take her hand and give it a little shake or squeeze. Only those the family were most intimate with gave hugs. Two hugs that Saya cherished most of all came from Miroku and Hiami.

Saya's eyes would often follow the sympathizer as they walked the path over to her mother's coffin. Each person would kneel on a pillow in front of the small table. The same ritual performed over and over again. The person would take a pinch of incense from the right side of box, hold it in front of their face while giving a little bow, and then deposit it into the smoldering left side. The process would be repeated two more times.

"Shunsui-san, I'm very sorry for your loss, old-friend." Saya was knocked out of her trance by Ukitake's voice, and watched as he gave her brother a hug. He wasn't in his usual captain's haori, which would have been a little inappropriate for the occasion. He wore a modest black kimono top and hakama fitting for the somber event of the day. He pulled his hair back into a low ponytail so that only his shorter bangs were around his face. Saya chastised herself for thinking he looked stunning; she should have been focused on her mother.

"Thank you, Juushiro. It's good to have a true friend here to console me and my family, instead of the many who came simply to gossip about my mother's death." Shunsui received a jab in the ribs from his brother, "Well, it's true." Shunsui mumbled.

"Even so, Shunsui, it is unkind to say such things. Many people who came here do wish to console your family and pay their respects to your dearly departed mother." Juushiro said in his calm tone.

"Well, I can always count on you to keep my manner's in-check, Juushiro." Shunsui said, with a slight chuckle even, "So you have decided to stay here then?"

Saya couldn't help it, even though she hadn't been invited into the conversation yet, "Stay here? Ukitake-san, do you plan on spending the night?"

Juushiro smiled, "Yes Saya-sama. Your brother asked that I be a pall-bearer when we take your mother to the kasoba tomorrow. I have known your family since the academy days, so it was an honor for me to be asked." Then Ukitake took Saya's hand in his. Although many people had done that today, Saya was still a little startled when Juushiro did it, but in a good way, "I'm very sorry for your loss, Saya-sama, if there's anything you need…"

"Yes, thank you, Ukitake-san." Saya was praying there wasn't a blush on her face.

The other captains started to follow after Juushiro's arrival, all offering their condolences in the same way. Aizen perhaps seemed the kindest next to Ukitake. He had even given Saya another pat on her head and asked her to come visit his division again when she was feeling up to it.

Soon a priest had come in and began the ceremony for the wake. All those in attendance sat on cushions behind him as he sat on the pillow in front of the coffin. He began his chanting with a low and deep voice, Saya found it quite soothing. He gave an offering of cooked rice and placed the chopsticks vertically into the bowl, signifying death. He chimed away on a prayer bowl and bell-like object at alternating intervals and speeds. About an hour later, the ceremony was over and the servant staff made sure to have all the food prepared for the guests. After everyone stuffed themselves with food and drank copious amounts of fine sake, they left for their own homes, only to return the following morning for the funeral service.

* * *

Saya lay in her bed that night looking up at the ceiling and thinking on the events of the day. She couldn't help but let her mind wander to the guest room that held Juushiro just down the hall.

Sighing, Saya threw the covers off of her body and made to get out of bed. She shivered slightly as the cold of the hard floor seemed to seep upwards through her feet and into her body. Carefully opening the door so as not to make a sound, Saya tiptoed out into the hall. Some coughing and rustling caused Saya to freeze right outside of Ukitake's door. She slowly turned her head towards the door, but when she didn't hear anything else she decided to continue on her path.

Sliding the parlor doors open Saya made her way to the front of the room where her mother's coffin sat. She knelt on the pillow and imitated the incense ritual she had seen hundreds of times that day.

"Mother, I don't know if you can hear me now. But I wanted to come and talk with you for a little bit. I hope it's okay, I didn't want to disturb you. I've been having a wonderful time with Aniki in the Sereitei. I've met so many new people I hope to call my friends someday. Of course there are a couple that I don't care for, I don't dislike them or anything, but they just 'aren't my cup of tea,' as you would say. I'm sure Aniki didn't tell you that one of Soifon taicho's squad members held a dagger to my neck when we went to go meet her. I was really scared at the time, but now I think it's kind of funny. Well, what else am I supposed to think about it? Let's see. I met an overly bubbly fukutaicho by the name of Matsumoto Rangiku. She's really nice though and she was here today with her captain. She and Shunsui got me drunk, haha, yeah. I fell for it." Saya actually smiled, the first real smile that had graced her lips in days. "The two most sincere people seem to by Aizen Sosuke and Ukitake Juushiro. I can't help but think Ukitake-san very handsome. I'm really silly when he's around, the slightest thing can make me blush." Saya thought she heard a creak and turned around to scan the room and entry way. Seeing nothing, Saya was content to turn back to her one-sided conversation with her mother.

"The real reason I came down here tonight mother, is to apologize. I'm sorry that I didn't get a chance to say goodbye and to tell you that I love you. I know you knew that I did, but I at least wanted to say it. I also wanted to apologize for when I was leaving to go stay with Shunsui. You tried to tell me goodbye then, and I wouldn't listen. I wasn't willing to accept that maybe you were actually going to die. But I've come to say it now. I wanted to say it properly. So here it goes."

"I love you very much and even after your death my love for you will continue to grow. I will always hold a special place for you in my heart. Some of the best memories I have are those that are with you. You took me into your home not knowing anything about me or my past and loved me as if I was your own. Thank you for all the kindness and love that you have shown me, I hope that I was able to return even a fraction of what you gave me. So I say to you know, sayonara, reidou." **(A/N: Reidou is a term for mother, earlier in the story I had Saya call her "youbo" or adoptive mother. This is Saya's way of telling Akemi that she views Akemi as her birth mother)**

* * *

The ososhiki began promptly at 10:00 a.m. the next day. Almost everyone who had been at the wake the night before crammed into the parlor room once again for the funeral. This time, three priests chanted for the departed. Each voice had their own unique tone, but Saya was mostly amazed at the great timing and coordination of their chant.

After they were done with their chant, Daisuke, Michi, Kikyo, Shunsui and Saya all placed one final flower on the coffin before the pall-bearers lifted it to begin the procession to the kosaba. Daisuke, Michi, Shunsui, Juushiro, and two cousins that Saya was unfamiliar with hoisted the coffin on their shoulders and made their way out of the house and through the town. Saya and Kikyo followed directly behind the coffin, with Saya holding Kikyo's arm to help her walk the far distance. Everyone else followed behind.

The head priest said some final words and then the coffin was sent through, it and everything it held was turned to ash. Saya didn't know quite how to feel at that moment.

The funeral procession made its way back to the Kyouraku home and the urn that held Akemi's ashes were placed on a small table where the coffin had previously rested. Everyone paid their final respects, and then Daisuke thanked everyone for coming and joining his family during their time of mourning.

Saya watched as everyone filed out of the house and the servants began the clean-up. Later that day Akemi's ashes were placed in the family grave. That was it. It was all over.

Saya sat with Shunsui and Juushiro out on the back patio. She had been painting teacups while they were talking about nothing in particular.

"Aniki?" Saya said looking up from her cup and interrupting their conversation. She had a confused look on her face.

"Yes, Saya?" Shunsui asked, he was interested to hear what she would ask, given the odd expression on her face.

"I know that when humans die in the material world, a shinigami leads them here to the soul society. But what happens when we die here? What becomes of our souls?"

Shunsui looked at his sister with a thoughtful expression, understanding the obvious reasons for her question. "Well Saya, when our souls die here, then they are reincarnated. When a human soul dies here in the soul society, it is reincarnated on earth."

It seemed that a light bulb went off in Saya's head, "So mother could have already been reborn? She may be someone's baby right now?"

"Well, perhaps. But before the spirit is able to reincarnate, it spends a certain amount of time as part of the spirit particles that make up our world. No one is sure how long it takes for the soul to be reincarnated."

"Oh," Saya's shoulders and face visibly dropped, "I see."

"Look at it this way, Saya. Your mother is still with you, even if you are not able to physically see or touch her." Ukitake chimed in.

This caused Saya to smile once again, "Thank you, Ukitake-san, I will." Saya returned to her teacup, with a happier looking disposition.

Shunsui noticed this slight change in Saya and smirked to himself. He then looked back to his friend whose eyes were still on Saya. Shunsui's eyebrow raised and his smirk turned into a curious grin. His gaze shifted between his sister and friend. _Well, well, perhaps it goes both ways?_

* * *

Author's note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter... well, as much as one can enjoy a chapter about a funeral. Don't worry! Happier chapters to follow. Saya will be heading back to the Sereitei and more interactions between herself and the strange man with the purple eyes will occur. By now I'm guessing you all know who/what he might be. We'll see if anything happens between her and Juushiro (aww!) and like I promised before, more of her past will start to reveal itself. I hadn't actually intended this chapter to be so long when I first started writing it, but then I felt like I couldn't completly glaze over the funeral, especially when Saya was sopposed to have been so affected by her mother's death... but it didn't allow me to take her back to the Sereitei by the end of it.

Thanks again to Sareenah, W.A.T., Bloody-Ribbon, and Ellie Tennis girl for commenting and reviewing! I always appreciate it!


	12. Chapter 12: Dance with Byakuya

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of its merchandise… blah blah blah.

A/N: Not to give anything about my story away, but with the new chapter in the manga (316) that just came out I might be hitting a few snags with my own story. I had purposely set it well before the main story line so as not to conflict too much with what is going on with the manga, however, it probably will now. At least some parts of it. So I just wanted to state that, and I'll try to keep my story as true as possible with the information that was given/will be given. However, I did have my story line in place before the latest updates, so please keep that in mind while you're reading… so if you say to yourself "that doesn't fit!" well then, yeah, it probably doesn't. Blame Tite Kubo… J/K!! :-D

* * *

It had been about a week since Shunsui and Saya had returned to the Sereitei. Not feeling like doing much, Saya had mainly hung around her brother's manor or with Ise-fukutaicho in the main offices, helping with paperwork. It only took a couple of days before Saya was able to forge her brother's signature almost as well as Nanao. A few times she had gone to watch the division train and was actually surprised to see her brother out on the grounds helping and guiding his members. Not that he wasn't a good captain to his men, but Saya had found out rather quickly that he liked to shirk his duties in favor of naps, sake, or whatever other distraction presented itself. On second thought, it was unfair to completely judge him based on that though; although he loathed paperwork, he did help to physically train his unit. He hated listening to what was being said in his captain's meetings, but would listen to any squad member who needed help with something (no matter how ridiculous it was in Saya's opinion). It was clear that Shunsui really did care about his members, and in return they respected him greatly. Part of this respect was shown by not skipping out on their duties… unlike their captain.

Nanao was an incredibly competent lieutenant. In fact, it really was her skills in organization and determination to complete the tasks set before her that kept the eighth division running so smoothly. Her greatest combat skill was kidou, by far. She was in charge of the division's training in that area and was really a great teacher. While she was very strict and expected her subordinates to be serious during their training, she didn't lose her patience with any squad member that was struggling or falling behind. Instead she would gently coach them until they were able to perform the task to her satisfaction; never embarrassing them or calling them out in front of the rest of the members.

Saya would smile to herself as she watched her brother and his fukutaicho. They were completely different on the surface, but they seemed to be more similar than once thought. Both cared about their subordinates greatly and wished for nothing more than to see them succeed.

But this morning was going to be different; Saya was starting to feel like herself again and argued that her mother would have been disappointed in her if she didn't take advantage of exploring the Sereitei more thoroughly than she had. Besides, Saya only had two weeks left and she didn't want to waste it in Shunsui's garden, library, or office.

"Tsukiko-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan!" Saya said in a chipper voice. She quite enjoyed the odd expression she received from the young girl in return.

"Uh, yes, Saya-sama?" Tsukiko was surprised to Saya already out of bed, along with being so peppy… especially so early in the morning. The sun was barely rising.

"I need you to do me a favor." Saya said with a wide smile.

"…..O..kay." Tsukiko said nervously. Saya looked mischievous rather than sincere to Tsukiko.

"Do you see those hakama on my bed?" Saya pointed to a pair of sea-green men's pants.

Tsukiko's eyes widened, she knew exactly what Saya was getting at. "Oh Saya-sama, I will return them to whoever they belong to. I promise to use the utmost discretion as well. No one will know of your doings, I swear. If someone asks if you were with a man I will claim ignorance and stand up for your honor."

"What?! NO!" Saya started laughing at her maid-servant's conclusion, "They're actually Shunsui's."

"Oh no, Saya-sama! What would happen if it was found out that there was incest in the Kyouraku household!" Tsukiko whispered, "I swear, I'll say nothing."

Tsukiko was a little taken aback by Saya's roaring laughter. "I don't see what is so funny, Saya-sama! This is a crime of sorts, and I'm only trying to be a loyal servant to you and the master."

"No, no, no, Tsukiko-chan, that's not it." Saya said as she wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye. It felt good to laugh that hard. "I didn't have any man in my bed and certainly you wouldn't think my own brother would take advantage of me?"

Tsukiko's face turned bright red, "Uh…No! Of course not, Saya-sama."

"Goodness Tsukiko-chan, we know where your mind is!" Saya laughed some more. "No, I took this pair of hakama. I can tell it's an older pair that Aniki doesn't wear anymore. They are definitely too small for him now. What I need you to do is alter them so that they fit me. I would like to wear them today."

Tsukiko shook her head, glad that her initial conclusion was wrong, but still highly embarrassed that she would have thought it in the first place.

"Oh, and could you make them a little more feminine looking as well? I know I'll be wearing boy's clothing, but I don't want to look like one if I can help it."

"Yes, mi'lady, just give me a couple of hours."

"Thanks, Tsukiko-chan. You may go." The young maid walked towards the door and just as she opened it, "OH! Tsukiko-chan?"

Tsukiko turned to see a playful smile upon Saya's face, "Please get your head out of the gutter, you naughty girl!" She knew it was wrong but Saya couldn't help but enjoy the embarrassment she caused Tsukiko as she watched the young servant scurry out of the door.

Saya looked out of her window and saw that the sun was just barely rising. _It wouldn't hurt me to get a little more sleep. I'm in that weird sort of state between hyper and dead tired._ So Saya lay back in her bed and drifted into sleep much quicker than one would have guessed.

A young girl no more than seven years of age with golden curls and eyes the color of the sky skipped through a field of wild flowers, picking the ones that caught her eye. She already had a colorful bouquet of blues, yellows, pinks, and purples.

"Ojii-san (grandfather) will like these!" She exclaimed excitedly to herself as she added another blue flower to her already huge assortment.

"Daughter, I think that's enough. Your ojii-san will be more than impressed, I'm sure of it." A woman's voice came from behind her. The woman had blonde hair; the same color of the little girl's and sky blue eyes to match as well. Her face wore a kind smile. Pulling out a small handkerchief the woman bent down face level to the little girl and wiped off some dirt that had found its way to her cheek.

The little girl pushed her mother's hand away and gave her a scowl, "I'm too old for you to be doing that, aka-san! I'm a big girl now!" She said in an annoyed tone of voice only to have it returned with a laugh.

"So sorry, I'll try to keep that in mind." The mother said as she tucked away the cloth. She stood back up and held her hand out to the young girl. "Let's get back so you can give those to your grandfather, he'll be pleased. Don't you think?"

"Saya?"

"Hhmmmm."

"Saya-chan?"

Saya's eyes fluttered opened and stared back into the warmth of her brother's. "What is it, Aniki?" she asked sleepily.

"I think I'll be heading on over to the thirteenth division today." Shunsui smirked as he noticed Saya's eyes immediately lost that hazy look they held only a moment before. "Feel free to come and join us when you're ready."

"Okay, thanks Aniki."

"Do you remember the way?"

"I'll find it." Saya said and rolled back over.

Shunsui smiled as he walked out of the door, knowing that she was faking her continued sleepiness. He lingered for a moment to hear her get out of bed and start bustling around the room. _I knew it. I figured that would wake her up._

* * *

Saya walked into the thirteenth division and received the same odd looks that she had been getting all morning. Saya laughed knowing it was because of the strange attire she was wearing. Tsukiko had done a marvelous job altering the hakama that Saya had "borrowed" from Shunsui. They weren't baggy anymore, and Tsukiko had sewn them so that they skimmed over the hips and thighs. Instead of flaring out at the bottom, they tapered in and therefore were easily tucked into the boots that Saya paired with them. Saya topped her new pants with a pearl-colored kimono top and yellow obi. The outfit hugged Saya's curves but still gave her enough room to move around easily. Not to mention, Saya was rather pleased with the way she looked in her new outfit. She had seriously suggested to Tsukiko that she think about a career as a seamstress.

Saya had followed her brother's reitsu to the main offices of Ukitake's division. She thought it was lucky that she knew how to sense her brother because there's not way she would have known the path. She heard their cheerful voices from behind the door and raised her hand to knock as to alert them to her presence.

"Come on in, Imo-chan!" Shunsui called from the other side of the door.

Her smiling face greeted them as she slid open the door and stepped in.

"It's good to see you smiling again, Saya-chan, but where did you get that outfit?" Shunsui asked. "Hey! Those are an old pair of my hakama." His face fell slightly, "Oh man."

"Aniki, it's not like you could fit into them anymore."

"They held sentimental value." Shunsui scoffed and pretended to be offended.

"Well, at least they're getting some use now, Aniki." Saya retorted.

"You've ruined them! I'll never be able to fit into them again!" Shunsui said in an overly dramatic tone. Saya just laughed at him.

"Shunsui-kun, you wouldn't be able to fit into them unless you lost the 50 pounds of muscle and three inches of height that you've gained since then. Besides, Saya looks very nice."

"Well," Saya began as her cheeks started to tint a light color of pink, "I can't take all the credit, Tsukiko was actually the one who altered them for me."

"She did a good job." Juushiro said.

_Is he flirting or just being nice? No, what am I thinking? He's just being nice._ Saya thought to herself. She heard a "hmpf" from her brother and turned her head to see him "pouting" from his seat. Saya just shook her head and smiled.

"Let's head out to the pond. It's a pretty day and I hate to see it wasted sitting inside." Ukitake suggested.

The three-some made their way to a spot by the lake and were greeted by a rather funny scene. _Is that Shiba-dono and Kuchiki-sama dancing?_ Saya wasn't able to stifle her giggle as well as Ukitake and Shunsui, and both Shiba and Kuchiki had turned with shocked faces to look at who had joined them.

Kaien, seeing who it was, didn't seem to mind that he had just been caught in an odd looking situation, but Saya could tell that Byakuya wasn't nearly as amused. Although he tried to hide it, Saya saw his brow furrow just the slightest before his face returned to its stoic state.

"Please, don't let us interrupt you." Shunsui said, pulling his straw hat over his eyes.

"It's not what it looks like, Kyouraku-taicho." Kuchiki said in his baritone voice and cold sort of tone.

"Ne? Englighten us then." Shunsui said with a playful smile.

"I'm just helping Byakuya-kun here practice the opening dance for the ball this year." It was Kaien who answered.

"Forgive me, Kuchiki-sama, but I've seen you dance the opening number plenty of times. You never seem to have any problems with it."

Saya was sure Byakuya shifted uneasily, or he was just changing his balance from one leg to another? She couldn't quite tell.

"Haha. Well, Saya-san," _Again with the familiar?_ Saya thought to herself, "It's not the same dance this year as it has been for the last, um, what was it? Twenty years, Kuchiki?"

"Nineteen," Byakuya corrected his friend.

"Right! This year he's starting off the Noble's Ball with 'The Dance of the New Lovers.'"

"'He?' You're not participating, Shiba-dono?" Saya asked.

"Hell no, the other noble families may be doing that stupid dance, but I won't." Shiba said, almost a little too proudly considering he was blowing off tradition. Perhaps a meaningless tradition, but a tradition all the same.

"I see," Saya said, "If memory serves me correctly then 'The Dance of the New Lovers' was performed at the first ball I attended when I was first taken into the Kyouraku family."

Kuchiki simply nodded, not quite sure of the point Saya was trying to make.

"Well, Kuchiki-sama, it doesn't really matter if you fully remember the dance or not. None of the noble girls I saw dance it twenty years ago knew what they were doing anyway. Besides, everyone will be too busy gossiping about you and your dance partner to notice whether or not you have any really knowledge of the dance." Saya really was in a playful mood today, she wouldn't have dared tease Kuchiki like that on any other occasion.

"Excuse me?" A slightly uncomfortable baritone answered back.

"Oh, didn't you know Kuchiki-sama? Everyone loves to talk about you and your dance partner. It's quite enjoyable actually. The mother and father start talking about how well they know you and how intimate you are with their daughter. Then they'll start saying things like, 'We should be expecting to give our blessing any day now.' It's really quite amusing." Saya said as she gave him a dumbfounded look as if to say: What, did I do something wrong?

Shunsui couldn't help but enjoy his sister's good mood and playful teasing. _Hmm, perhaps I've been a bad influence? Nah, but keep it up, Saya; this is fun to watch Kuchiki trying not to squirm._

Juushiro on the other hand was a little confused, _Is she flirting with Kuchiki?_

"I didn't mean that, Kyouraku-san." Byakuya said as shifted once more, "I was referring to what you said about none of the ladies knowing the dance themselves."

"OH! Silly me! Of course that's what you meant." Saya said with a smile, "Well Kuchiki-sama I find it odd that a dance like that would be performed at a ball like this anyway. Clearly no one knows the story behind it…"

"Saya-san, what does it have to do with the way the women were dancing?" Shiba asked.

"Well, if you would be quiet and _**listen**_ Shiba-_**dono**_, then you would find out." Saya said shooting him an irritated look. "Anyway, this dance isn't about two people who found each other and fell in love at first sight, as it is mistakenly thought to be. That's probably why it's chosen to be the opening number at the Noble's Ball. It's quite the opposite, actually. The story goes like this: It starts with two neighboring and warring lands. The Lord on the losing side of the battle knew that if he didn't make peace with the other King, then his lands would be completely overthrown and he would be forced out of his own country and his people would pay the ultimate price by being enslaved by the victorious. So he sent a messenger to the King with a letter saying that if he called off his troops, then the Lord would give his youngest and most beautiful daughter to be married to the King's heir as a sign of faith in the peace and cooperation between the two lands. He also sent a picture of the fair maiden so the King would know it wasn't a trick. The king showed the letter and picture to his son, who gladly accepted the offer. You see, the young prince actually did fall in love with beautiful princess just by looking at her picture. However, when the princess heard about the deal her father made she was heartbroken and incredibly angered by what her father had done. Even so, the Lord sent his youngest daughter to the neighboring land to be married to the prince."

"Now this is where the importance of the actual dance comes in because a ball was being thrown to celebrate the union on the prince and princess. She walks into the ballroom and sees the prince standing there waiting for her. Although she goes to him, she doesn't bow or even look at him. In fact they start the dance with her looking to her left and chin held up in defiance of her future husband. When the prince sees this he's actually saddened because he had hoped that she would love him as he already loved her."

At this point Saya walks over to Kuchiki and cues Shiba-dono to turn on what looked like a portable record-player type device to play the song. Kuchiki, although looking a little uncomfortable quickly took Saya's hand in his and places the other on her waist, while she places her free hand on his shoulder in a traditional stance.

"The first movement begins," She said, not at all looking at the Kuchiki in front of her. His eyes, on the other hand, were focused intently on Saya. Kuchiki was a good dancer, and led her gracefully around the field while she continued with the story.

"This first movement tells us how she conveys to the prince that she wants nothing to do with him. She will begrudgingly perform her duties as his wife, but that he will never have her heart or soul. But the first turn comes and then, for the first time, she looks into her prince's eyes." Saya said as she looked into Byakuya's eyes after he had spun her around gracefully.

The pair halted for a brief time as the dance called for, "And then the second movement begins. In this movement the princess has seen that the prince truly does love her and only wishes for her happiness. He is not angered by her actions, but instead deeply saddened because he doesn't understand why his bride despises him so. She starts to feel guilty for how she acted, and so she turns her head to the right and lowers her eyes, chin no longer held high in defiance." Again they began waltzing around the field while their captivated audience looked on. "She starts to question her previous actions towards the prince along with her own feelings. Perhaps she does love him in return? And then the second spin."

Byakuya spun Saya around for the second time and once again she made eye contact with him and the two stop moving as the dance required. "When they make eye contact for the second time, the princess realizes that she does in fact love the prince. Now for the third movement. The third movement the princess lowers her head to the prince in an attempt to show him that she will be submissive to his lead, afterall. It is also her way of apologizing for acting so rudely to him before. And now for the final turn and movement." Byakuya spins Saya once again but there is no halt in the dance this time, they keep moving, "The princess looks into her prince's eyes for the remainder of the dance. She tries to relate that she loves him too, that she has given him her heart and soul and that she is happy to be his bride." Saya and Byakuya continue their elegant dance until the music fades out. "Then the princess bows low to her prince," Saya said while bowing low to Byakuya, "and doesn't move until he gives her permission." Saya stayed in the low bow waiting for Byakuya to say something. When he didn't she went ahead and stood up anyway.

"Ne, Kuchiki-sama. Are you alright?" Saya asked when she stood up. She was looking at a very flushed Byakuya.

He stiffened, "Yes, just a little warm outside to be dancing around like that." Kuchiki said as he turned away.

Saya simply shrugged and looked towards the other three men. Shunsui had smirk on his face that went well with Kaien's devilish grin, but Ukitake did not look as amused. He sat there with a blank look on his face, not giving away any emotions that he was feeling at the moment. Saya found it to be a rather odd expression on Ukitake; usually his face held a smile, but now it held nothing.

"How did you know about that dance and the story behind it, Saya-san?" Kaien asked.

"Uh, I'm not really sure. It's just something I know, like I had to dance it everyday until my body didn't need my mind telling it what to do. I find there are a lot of things I know without being able to explain." The last part she said quietly to herself so that no one could hear. Saya turned her gaze toward the wood that surrounded the lake and started to make her way to the edge to enter.

"Where are you going, Saya-chan?" Shunsui yelled after her.

"I'm going to explore, I can't let my new pants go to waste!" With that she dashed off into the woods.

"Be careful!" She heard her brother call after her.

Once Saya was out of ear shot Kaien went over to where Byakuya was standing (back still turned towards the group) and elbowed him in the ribs.

"She's a mighty fine dance partner, ne? If I'm not mistaken, I do believe you were blushing!"

Byakuya quickly pushed Kaien away from him, "I did nothing of the sort. And yes, I suppose her dance skills are satisfactory." Kuchiki said.

"Satisfactory? She was one of the most graceful dancers I've ever seen! You baka, you're just embarrassed."

Byakuya remained silent, refusing to be drawn into such a childish argument. He, Kuchiki Byakuya, wouldn't be so easily embarrassed by something as silly as a dance.

"I'd much rather get back to the real reason I came over to your division today, Kaien-kun."

"Oh right, to train. Are you sure you don't want to dance with me??" Kaien said making kissing noises at Byakuya while batting his eyelashes.

"I'm quite sure," Kuchiki said through gritted teeth.

"Oh, alright then. Hand-to-hand and footwork only for today. I don't feel like getting slashed by senbonzakura."

"Fine."

The two captains sat and watched as the lieutenants trained against each other. Shunsui looked on with amusement while Juushiro looked at them thoughtfully.

"So your sister has taken a liking to Byakuya, then?" Ukitake asked in a nonchalant manner. At least that is what he attempted to make it seem like. However, he and Shunsui had been best friends for a few centuries and the latter had caught the true intent of his question. However, to preserve Juushiro's pride he thought it best not to point it out.

"I don't think so, Juushiro. I think she just wanted to tease him for her own amusement. She may think him attractive, but I doubt her feelings go any farther than that. It seems that Kuchiki may have some feelings towards her though. However, she's not from a noble family, so I doubt he would ever act on them. I don't see him marrying anyone whose blood isn't as noble as his."

"You're probably right there, Shunsui." Ukitake said. Shunsui could tell by his tone of voice that his friend was happy with the answer given.

Author's note: I felt a happy chapter was needed to get out of the funk Saya was in. So I hope you all enjoyed the latest installment of the story! Thank you to everyone who reviewed and commented. I always enjoying hearing what people have to say. I also want to thank those of you who added this as a favorite story. It really makes my day knowing that someone enjoys my work enough to tag it. Again, thank you so much! My school is out for spring break this week (woohoo!) So hopefully I'll get a few more updates in this week. Stay tuned... okay now go and review! :-D


	13. Chapter 13: White Flowers and a Hollow

Disclaimer: Don't own Bleach or anything with the Bleach name on it…okay.

* * *

Saya skipped through the woods picking wild flowers much like the little girl in her dreams had. Thinking mainly of Juushiro, she seemed to be favoring the white ones. _Maybe I shouldn't have danced with Byakuya?_ Saya thought to herself.

_"Maybe not."_ A smooth voice answered her.

Saya gasped a little and looked around.

_"Why do you always do that? You always look around as if someone else is talking to you. It's annoying… and somewhat hurtful."_ The voice retorted, faking a pout with the last statement. Saya wasn't sure how she knew he was faking, but she did.

Saya smiled invisioning the handsome man with purple eyes and raven hair, _"I'm sorry; it's only recently that I've heard a strange voice talking to me in my head. I'm not quite used to it yet." Saya retorted. "Besides, you always seem to speak to me at the oddest times."_

_"Not used to me? Strange voice? Odd times? Again, I'm so hurt. We used to talk everyday and still now you barely hear me."_

_"Everyday?"_

_"Hai, Saya-sama. You lost a lot of yourself twenty years ago."_

_"… You know who I am?"_

_"Hai, Saya-sama."_

_"Then you can tell me?"_

_"I cannot tell you what you already know, Saya-sama. You must remember it for yourself."_

_"That's not helpful!"_

_"Is it not? Hmm, how will I ever deal with the guilt of disappointing my Saya-sama?"_

_"Oh great, you're a comedian."_

Saya heard a laugh inside her head, _"I cannot tell you, Saya-sama. But I will help you remember."_

_"Promise?"_

_"Hai, I promise."_

Saya smiled to herself and continued to pick the white flowers growing in the forest. _"I want to give these to Ukitake-san, but I don't think it would be appropriate. I'll give them to my Aniki instead."_ Saya said to her voice. She didn't hear it respond. _"Hey, are you listening? I'm talking to you!"_

_"Saya-sama, go back to the others."_

_"What? Why?"_

_"Saya-sama! GO BACK NOW!"_

Just then Saya heard a ripping noise and turned her head towards the location of the sound. Her eyes grew wide with fear and her breath hitched in her throat. A giant beast with a black body, white mask, and huge hole in its chest had emerged from the rip. It had huge claws at the ends of long arms that drug on the ground.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? A tasty soul all by itself! Yummy!"

_"Saya-sama, JUMP!"_

Saya did as she was told and jumped up higher than she thought possible to a tree branch above her head, barely avoiding the swipe the monster had taken at her.

_"Tell me what to do!"_ Saya pleaded with the voice in her head.

_"Start running back to the others and stay in the trees!"_ Saya listened without hesitation this time and started jumping from tree branch to tree branch with the hollow following close behind. Luckily it had to dodge the branches and leaves, so it wasn't able to catch her as easily as if she stayed on the ground.

* * *

Shunsui and Juushiro looked at each other as they felt Saya's reitsu flare in a sudden panic. Only a moment later Kaien and Byakuya felt it as well. Shunsui quickly stood up and reached out with his reitsu to find his sister.

"She's heading back this way, and quickly." Juushiro said.

"She's almost here." Shunsui said, placing a hand on his sword. _What has her so panicked?!_

* * *

Saya saw that the trees were starting to grow thinner as she approached the lake.

_"We're almost there!"_

_"Saya! Watch out!"_

Saya barely dodged another full-on swipe of the hollow's claws. She wasn't unscathed however, and she felt blood drip from the cut she just received on her cheek. With that added to the ones on her stomach, right side, and upper back, Saya was feeling the pain and wooziness of bloodloss.

_"Saya, you must defend yourself!"_

_"What do you mean?! I don't know how!"_

_"You do know! I will help you!"_

Again Saya barely escaped the sharp claws of the demon.

"NO! ANIKI!" Saya screamed as she almost fell off the final tree branch. She made it! She was at the lake and the hollow hadn't caught her.

_A hollow? How could I not sense it before? It was Saya, her own reitsu was so high and in such a state of frenzy that I couldn't feel a measley hollow?_ Shunsui yelled in his head.

"SAYA!" The four men below her yelled out along with the voice in her head.

Saya turned to see the hollow right behind her. It drilled its long claws through her left shoulder and both of them started to fall off the branch. Shunsui had already jumped up, sword in hand, but it looked like he was too late.

"What a tasty treat for me!" The hollow said as it opened its mouth preparing to engulf the girl in its clutches.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Saya screamed as she extended her arm and hand towards the hollow's now open mouth. She felt a surge a power rush through her and escape from her palm. She saw the hollow disintegrate in front of her eyes and then she saw a flash of pink before she blacked out, still falling.

Ukitake jumped up and caught her in his arms before she hit the ground and Shunsui landed gracefully only a few feet beside him.

"Saya? Saya can you hear me!?" Shunsui yelled as he rushed to her side.

"She's blacked out, Shunsui. She's bleeding badly from her shoulder and it looks like she's been wounded in other places as well. It's not safe to move her to the fourth division right now, we'll take her to my infirmary and call for a member of the fourth squad. Byakuya, go and alert them that we require immediate medical attention in the thirteenth division."

"Yes sir." And Byakuya flashed away quickly.

The other three rapidly ran to the infirmary and lay Saya on a platform within. Shunsui started to peel off her top while trying to preserve as much of her modesty as he could, but he needed to see the damage caused by her attack. He was able to see that the worst was her shoulder while the marks on her stomach, side, face, and back were surface wounds. However, the claws from the hollow had pierced her clear through from front to back.

"Aniki, help me." Saya's voice said weakly in her unconscious state. Shunsui felt heartbroken. He hadn't been able to keep her from getting hurt; he had promised to protect her and she had almost been killed by a fourth rate hollow because he wasn't paying attention.

"Shunsui, I'm going to perform some healing kidou as best I can, at least until a member from the fourth squad arrives." Juushiro said as he held his hands over Saya, muttering some words to himself. Shunsui nodded and looked on helplessly. It wasn't often that he had felt this way.

Not too much longer, Unohana herself arrived with Byakuya trailing close behind.

"Thank you, Ukitake-taicho, I've got it from here." She said in her kind voice. She began to heal Saya enough to transport her to the fourth division. "It seems like those claws were poisonous to some extent. I'll have to take her back to by division to completely heal her. But she should be fine to carry at this point. Kyouraku-taicho, would you be so kind as to bring your sister and follow me?"

"Of course." Shunsui said as he gingerly lifted his sister and held him close to her. He shunpoed to the fourth division and sat outside of her room while Unohana continued to heal his sister.

* * *

Saya woke up against the bark of a jacaranda tree and her face being tickled by a fox glove. Swatting away the flower she looked up to see the culprit of this small annoyance. She wasn't surprised when she was greeted by purple eyes and a warm smile.

"Glad to see you awake, Saya-sama."

"Am I awake?"

"Well, you are here. You're still unconscious in your own world." He said while sitting beside her, leaning against the tree.

"Oh." Saya said with disappointment weighing in her voice.

The man laughed at her, "Don't worry, you're fine. Unohana-taicho herself is healing you and your brother is nearby. Can't you feel him?"

Saya closed her eyes to concentrate. He was right; her brother was nearby and obviously worried about her.

* * *

Shunsui shifted in his chair when he felt his sister's reitsu reach out for him. It was much different than when he had felt it before, when while she was being chased by a hollow. Then it was like a harsh wind storm, now it felt like a gentle breeze that calmed the spirit on a spring day. He was sure he even smelled flowers, but he couldn't place the scent. He stood up from his seat and faced the door allowing his reitsu to extend to her, letting her know that he was there, and waiting for her to wake up. At first her's recoiled but then whipped around him like a playful breeze before retracting fully back to its owner.

_"You're worried about her."_ His sword spoke to him.

_"You're stating the obvious."_ Shunsui said sarcastically, only to hear a snigger in return.

* * *

Saya opened her eyes and returned her gaze to the man beside her.

"I'm glad that it's calm here again. I'm glad it's not storming."

"As am I, Saya-sama."

Saya turned her stare towards the field of foxgloves before her and enjoyed the soothing breeze that blew past her face.

"I like it here." Saya said, closing her eyes again. She didn't see the man sitting beside her smile.

"Would you like to finish your dream from earlier today?"

Saya opened her eyes and gave him a confused look, "There's more?"

"Hai, Saya-sama, close your eyes."

Saya did as she was told and immediately was taken back to young girl and her mother. They were nearing an enormous palace with two entrance gates, a moat running between them. The palace itself was the brightest white and the shingles on top of the many roofs were a slate sort of color. There were several buildings that were connected by covered walkways, open courtyards, and large halls. The stables were just inside the second entrance and probably held 100 horses within them, not to mention living quarters for all the stable hands. Trees grew everywhere and Zen gardens were placed every 50 yards throughout the palace grounds. Streams and ponds were filled with colorful koi fish and lily pads.

The little girl laughed and giggled as she expertly maneuvered her way through the endless walkways and courtyards. She seemed to know exactly where she was going. Anyone she ran past would bow to her, but obviously they didn't expect any acknowledgement in return. It was clear she was on mission and nothing would stop her. Well, maybe one thing could slow her down.

She stopped abruptly in front of the dojo when she heard the men and women inside practicing their forms. She snuck up to peek through the small crack in the sliding doors. Knowing she wouldn't have long before she was caught (and she didn't want to get in trouble again for watching!) she peeked through to see a group training. They were covered from head to toe in a black uniform. Even their eyes were covered by a screen so that no part of their identity would be revealed. The only color on their uniform was a green obi, indicating they were members of the royal guard.

* * *

Saya opened her eyes and was staring at a ceiling in the fourth division.

"You're awake. You've been asleep for hours. Unohana-taicho helped to heal you." Shunsui said to his sister.

Saya turned towards her brother's voice. Her shoulder was a little tender and she winced slightly when she tried to turn on her side.

"Don't move, Saya-chan."

"But I want to roll over. Help me." She said while extending her right hand towards her brother. He took her hand and supported her shoulder as gently as he could and helped her turn on her side, facing him.

"Thank you for saving me, Aniki." Saya said, her eyes still heavy.

"I didn't save you, Saya." Shunsui said softly.

"What do you mean? I saw the hollow disappear and then I saw your pink haori."

"No, you destroyed right before I brought down my sword."

Saya thought back for a moment, "Oh, that's right. I remember this weird feeling coursing through me right before I blacked out."

Shunsui started to stroke his sister's hair. "Ukitake caught you. Saya, what happened?"

But it didn't look like he was going to get an answer just yet.

A small smile came to Saya's lips as she closed her eyes and started to drift off to sleep. "Ukitake-san? I was picking flowers while thinking about him. They were white." She said softly as she fell asleep again. Shunsui went to move but his sister, in her sleep, grabbed his pink haori to keep him near. He sat back down in a chair that was by her bed.

Turning to his friend that was sitting in the corner, Shunsui smiled. "Did you hear that, Juushiro?"

Ukitake returned his friend's smile. "Yes, I did."

* * *

"You know, Ichijin, some would call me a genius." The blonde hair captain said wielding a rather long syringe.

"Yeah, but I would call you a baka." Ichijin replied.

"Now, that hurts my feelings!" The captain pouted. "Besides, you should show a little more respect to a genius captain such as myself." He said with his pout turning into a cheesy grin.

"You're right. I'm very sorry, Baka-_taicho_."

"That's not what I meant."

"Baka-sama then?"

"I'm the one holding a very long needle. I'd hate to slip and fall and jab it into your arm!"

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry. You are a genius among geniuses blah blah blah. What are you working on now?"

"Can't tell you; it's top secret Ichi-kun."

"..."

"What, you don't like your nickname?"

"It's not that."

"Well??" The cheesy smile had returned to his face.

"You said that you thought I was a girl. If you go throw 'kun' on the end of my name, do you think that I'm a boy now?"

"Who said I couldn't use 'kun' for a girl?"

"Well, it's just not done that often." Ichijin scoffed.

"So let me hear your voice and I'll use something more appropriate."

"You're just trying to trick me. You said it yourself that I was a girl."

"I said it was highly likely, but I also remember saying that you could be a very effeminate boy. In fact, you could still be a boy; preferring to be thought of as a girl instead of a boy. It's not my place to judge. I don't care one way or another." The captain said turning back to his lab table.

Ichijin debated on whether or not to let the captain hear her real voice. She knew he was curious about his masked visitor, but she also knew the rules. She wasn't allowed to reveal herself to anyone; and that included the Gotei 13. She eventually reasoned that even if he heard her voice, he still didn't have a face to put with it and she would never reveal her true name to him. She disabled the device that filtered her voice.

"Here is my real voice." She said. "Are you happy now?"

The captain whipped around with wide eyes, surprised that he "won" this small battle. It had been months since this masked stranger had first started visiting him, and she had been so careful not to reveal anything about herself. A smirk soon appeared on his handsome features. "Yes, Ichi-san. Thanks."

"So will you tell me what you're making?" She asked.

"A gigai."

"I thought you already perfected that invention?"

"Yes, well this one is a bit... different."

* * *

Saya looked at the man with the windswept hair and purple eyes. "I didn't finish either of those memories." She said a little perturbed.

"How do you know if you can't remember them?" He asked back playfully.

"I don't know, but it feels like there's more." Saya said, not losing the annoyed tone in her voice.

"You've waited a long to remember anything, Saya-sama. Twenty years… so what's the rush now? It's alright if you have to wait a little longer."

"Fine." Saya sat there with her arms crossed looking at the fox gloves when something dawned on her. "What's your name? You know mine but I don't know your's."

She was surprised to see that her purple eyed friend looked a little saddened when she asked him this.

"I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?" Saya asked.

"You used to know my name. I wonder if I told you, would hear it again?" He said quietly.

"I hear you fine now. Why wouldn't I hear your name?"

"It's not always the same, Saya-sama."

"Well, let's try. Tell me, what is your name?"

"It's - "

Saya furrowed her brow. Why couldn't she hear his name?

"I'm sorry, did you mumble?"

"My name is -"

Seeing that Saya still looked confused he didn't try to tell her again. He just smiled sadly at her.

"Don't worry, you'll hear it someday. I've been waiting twenty years for you to hear me again. I can't wait a little longer for you to learn my name."

"How do I do it? How can I learn your name?"

"... You need to become a Shinigami."

* * *

Author's note: WOW! First let me say thank you soooooooooooooooooooo much to everyone for reviewing and private messaging. All the responses I got made me really happy and excited to get the next chapter up ASAP! I'm really happy that everyone is enjoying this story. I have to admit, I got halfway through this chapter than then nixed it to start it over again. But I'm relatively satisfied with this outcome. So I hope that you enjoyed reading it! Please review and I promise to update soon! (P.S. I wasn't lying about the Spring Break thing, huh? ;-D)


	14. Chapter 14: Possible Roadblock

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach in any way shape or form… but if Tite Kubo would like to share some profits with me just out of sheer kindness that would be SO SWEET!

* * *

A couple of days had passed since Saya's incident with the hollow and Unohana-taicho felt comfortable letting her leave the fourth division.

"Arigato Unohana-taicho, for helping me." Saya said as she bowed to the motherly figure in front of her.

"It was nothing, Kyouraku-san. I'm glad that you're feeling better. Take care now." Unohana responded. Then she walked out of the room leaving Saya and Shunsui alone.

With a blank look on his face, Shunsui waited as Saya smoothed out the creases in her kimono. Feeling as if she was being watched she looked up at her brother, who was wearing that blank expression again. She was getting rather tired of it.

"What?!" Saya asked harshly.

"What 'what?'" Shunsui returned.

"Stop giving me that weird look! It makes me nervous and it doesn't suit you. Where is the smirk or small smile that usually graces your face? Where is _that_ look?" Saya asked rather annoyed.

A smirk did appear on Shunsui's face and he even gave a small snort at her comment. "I feel bad, okay? Can a brother not feel guilty? Jeez."

This comment caught Saya a little off guard. "What do you have to feel guilty about, Aniki? I don't follow."

"You got hurt because I wasn't paying attention to what was going on around me; a rookie's mistake, not a captain's."

Realization dawned on Saya. "Oh, I see." She furrowed her brow and bit her bottom lip before saying, "Shunsui-nii, I really wish that you wouldn't feel guilty. It's not your fault that I was attacked. You had no way of knowing that a hollow would pop up in the woods of division thirteen. Besides, I'm the one who went off by myself and left the group. You had no reason to think that any harm would come to me."

"Yes but..." Shunsui started but Saya wasn't going to let him finish.

"But nothing, Aniki. Actually, in a weird sort of way, I'm glad that this happened." Saya's statement caused Shunsui to look at her as if she was crazy. This only made Saya smile widely and laugh a little. "I'll explain it to you when we get home. I don't want to talk about it here. I have some things to tell you and some questions I need to ask."

Shunsui just nodded and said, "Alright." He offered his arm to Saya and slid the door open to allow them to leave. Neither of them expected to see what greeted them on the other side.

Shunsui smirked while Saya stood there dumbfounded. Standing in the hallway, holding bouquets of flowers were none other than Ukitake Juushiro and Kuchiki Byakuya. The two of them were staring at each other with blank faces. Shunsui took a step behind Saya and pulled his straw hat low over his eyes. Saya, on the other hand, kept looking back and forth between the two men.

"Um... Hello, Ukitake-taicho... Kuchiki-sama." Saya said while bowing to them. In response to her greeting, both men turned to face her.

"Hello there, Kyouraku-san." Ukitake said with a warm smile.

"Good day." Kuchiki-sama said plainly.

"It looks like Kuchiki-san and I had the same idea. We brought you flowers in hopes that it would make you feel better and speed along your recovery. However it looks like we might be too late. Are you heading back to your brother's house?" Juushiro said in his friendly tone.

"Uh, yes. Unohana-taicho just released me." Saya said looking at the flowers in Ukitake's hands. They were all white! _Did Shunsui tell him what I said about picking white flowers?_ A small blush colored Saya's cheeks as she smiled and looked back up to Juushiro's face.

"I brought these to you thank you for helping me with the dance; but I'm glad you're feeling better as well." Byakuya said, his voice polite but still plain. Saya looked at the bouquet in Byakuya's hands. It was made up of several different colored roses and was stunningly arranged. She was sure that it had probably cost more than Juushiro's; however, Saya couldn't help but prefer the all-white flowers to Byakuya's roses.

"Oh, of course. Thank you both so much for your kindness." Saya said while bowing to the men again. "Aniki, maybe you could help me carry them home?" She said while turning around to find her brother smirking. Seeing this, she shot him an annoyed look and roughly grabbed him the wrist, pulling him even with herself. "Here, you carry this one," Saya said while handing him the roses, "and I'll carry these." She said while taking the white ones from Ukitake. Juushiro's smile only grew as he realized she preferred his bouquet over Byakuya's.

It seemed that Byakuya interpretted her act in the same way, but you wouldn't know it by looking at his face. Even though he was still polite with his words, his tone had turned somewhat colder. "Very well. Glad to see you recovered, Kyouraku-san. I must be heading back to my division."

Saya looked up at him quickly and gave him another smile, "Yes, I understand, Kuchiki-sama. Again, thank you so much for your gift. I really do appreciate it." With a slight nod Byakuya turned on his heel and began walking out of the building; his scarf swishing in a gentle rhythm behind him.

"Ukitake, why don't you come back with us? You already came all this way to give her a "get well" bouquet; I'd hate to have to send you off so soon." Shunsui said with a little hint of mischief to his tone.

Saya stiffened slightly at her brother's statement. Usually she would have been fine with Juushiro coming along, in fact she would have wanted it; but she really did need to speak with her brother about private matters, and she wasn't sure how comfortable she felt discussing these around Ukitake. _Ukitake-san, I would probably never think this but... please say you're busy and need to head back! Please say you're busy and need to head back!_

"It would be my pleasure to accompany you and Saya-sama back to your manor. Thank you for the invitation, Shunsui-san."

_Damn!_ Saya thought to herself, _But then on the other hand, I do rather like the way my name sounds coming from his mouth. SAYA! Stop it!_ She just looked up at Ukitake and smiled.

_"Saya-sama fancies the pretty white-haired captain, ne?"_ A teasing sort of voice said to her.

_"Shut-up, I don't remember asking for your input. Besides, he's not pretty... he's handsome."_

_"No, I'd say he's pretty."_

_"... Shut-up."_

All Saya heard was laughter at that point; obviously her purple-eyed friend had enjoyed teasing her.

"Uh, imo-chan?" Shunsui said.

Saya was knocked out of the daze she hadn't realized she had fallen into, "Uh, yeah?"

"Are you okay? You kind of spaced out there for a minute."

"Oh, uh... yes, I'm fine. Let's head home, shall we?" She looped her arm through her brother's again and began to pull him out of the doorway.

Shunsui looked over his shoulder to smirk at Juushiro following behind them. Ukitake blushed slightly and nodded.

* * *

Saya had been unusually quiet walking back to Shunsui's home. She wasn't sure if she was going to have the opportunity to talk to him about hearing the strange voice in her head, or the fact that it had told her to become a shinigami. After everything that had happened in the last couple of weeks though, she was sure she wanted to take up the challenge. One, she would be able to protect herself; two, she would be able to protect others; and three, apparently training would bring back her memories.

It didn't seem like that long ago when Saya didn't want to remember anything. Now she wanted to know everything. Where was that palace she had seen? Did she live there? Was that woman who looked so much like her, her mother? Perhaps she was that woman? _No, that woman in my dream was older than I am now; so it couldn't have been me._ Saya reasoned with herself. Who was her ojii-san? Was he in the group of soldiers Saya had seen training? What about that blonde captain?

These were all questions that Saya needed answered. She didn't understand most, if any, of what she had seen.

_"Stop being so nervous, Saya-sama; your Aniki will understand. Talk to him about it. You don't have to tell him everything if you don't feel comfortable doing so."_

_"I know, but I'm afraid of what he'll think if I say I keep hearing a man's voice in my head. How will I explain I'm not crazy? In fact, how do I know I'm not crazy?"_

_"I'll bet he'll understand better than you're giving him credit for. And don't worry; I know you're not crazy."_

_"Strangely, the voice in my head telling me that I'm not crazy doesn't make me feel better."_ Saya joked.

_"Hmpf."_

_"Oh ho ho! Look who can't take the joke now!"_ A devious grin appeared on Saya's lips as she imagined the perturbed look on her friend's face.

"What are you smiling about, Saya-chan? You've been in your own little world the entire way home and now you're wearing a wily sort of grin." A bemused Shunsui asked his little sister.

"Huh? Oh, nothing. I wasn't thinking about anything in particular, really." Saya lied.

"You know, I can always tell when you're lying to me?"

"Me? Lie to my brother? Tut tut Shunsui, how could you even suggest such a thing?"

"Because you're lying," Shunsui said with his playful tone, "So what is it that you were thinking about?"

"Father!" Saya exclaimed suddenly.

Shunsui looked up to see his father pacing back and forth in front of the house.

"Hello there father!" Shunsui called out to him.

Daisuke moved forward towards the group and placed Saya in a huge bear hug.

"Saya! Are you alright? Shunsui only just now told me what happened! I was so worried about you. Here, let me take a look at you." Daisuke pushed Saya away from his body but still held on to her shoulders. He turned her from side to side making sure she was all in one piece.

"Father, I'm fine. Really." Saya said, a little flustered; she hadn't expected to be hugged so harshly.

"Oh thank goodness." He let out with a sigh of relief. Then he turned his gaze to his second son. "Shunsui! I told you to take care of her! I told you not to let any harm come to her! I let her come here and you get her drunk and then because of your carelessness she gets attacked by a hollow! What do you have to say for yourself?"

Saya's gaze shifted uncomfortably from her father to her brother who was standing a few feet away with a frown on his face. Saya decided to answer for her brother, even though it wasn't her place to do so.

"Please father, Shunsui didn't do anything wrong. I didn't turn down the sake and I'm the one who separated myself from the group. So really it was my own fault that I was attacked by the hollow. It was a complete accident anyway, how could Shunsui know it would happen? I mean, don't you think you're overreacting a little bit, father?

"No Saya, he has every right to be angry with me."

Saya looked at her brother with wide eyes. "Shunsui-nii?"

"No, it's true. You were left in my charge and although I see nothing wrong with your intoxication," as Shunsui said this, Saya just had a deadpan look on her face, "but I do take responsibility for your being injured. As an older brother, it is my duty to watch out and care for my younger sister."

Saya's face changed into a slight scowl. "You're both talking about me as if I were some sort of small child. I understand you both feel protective of me, but there's no reason to blame anyone for this accident. Now please, let's just…"

"No Saya, it's good that he's admitting his mistake. But it doesn't matter at this point. I've already had Tsukiko-san pack your trunks; you're coming home with me. Tonight."

"What?" Saya asked in a voice barely above a whisper, a wave of shock rushed over her.

"I said that I'm taking you home tonight! Go and ready yourself to leave!" Daisuke said in a rather stern voice.

Saya was startled by the harsh tone her father had used. He had never spoken to her in this way before and she didn't know how to react to it. Saya wanted to move but her feet weighed 100 pounds and seemed to be cemented to the ground. Saya wanted to speak but couldn't find her voice, only a lump in her throat. Why was her father being so harsh? More importantly, how was she going to become a shinigami if she was forced to go home? She looked to her brother to do something, hoping he would say something against their father's wishes. But it was her father that spoke again.

"Saya! I told you to move! When we leave here tonight you're not allowed to come back to the Sereitei; it's clearly too dangerous. Now go get ready to leave!"

Saya's head snapped back to her father. Shunsui saw the look on Saya's face and was quite taken aback by it. He would later describe it as the kind of look Byakuya would give his subordinates who questioned his orders or peasants who begged for money on the streets. It was the kind of look bred only in the noblest of households and masterfully delivered by the lords and ladies that dwelt within them. It was the kind of look that made even the strongest and most confident of men falter beneath its weight. But most of all, it was a look given to remind the receiver to "know their place," which was "beneath" that of the giver.

As expected, Daisuke faltered under Saya's unforgiving gaze; he even took a step back as his face registered the shock. Ukitake shifted uncomfortably in the tense atmosphere and Shunsui kept his frown. But just like any father, Daisuke would not take being disrespected by his daughter.

He steadied himself under Saya's stare, "I won't repeat myself again." His tone had calmed in volume but it had taken on a bitter quality to add to the harshness previously heard. Shunsui recognized that tone of voice. It had been directed at him numerous times in his younger years when his parents had labeled him "out of control." Luckily, he hadn't had to hear it for several hundreds of years; but it still sent chills down his spine.

Saya, however, did not respond to her father in the same way Shunsui had. She had even dared to lift her chin ever so slightly into the air; her left eyebrow raised as to ask "who are you to speak to me in that way?" Knowing that this could only continue to spiral downward, Shunsui walked over to his sister and placed a hand on her shoulder. This small act seemed to be enough to knock Saya out of her mindset and her body returned to a semi-relaxed state. Her face, although still blank, had returned to a somewhat normal state as well.

"Father, Saya, let's take a few moments to calm down. Perhaps when we are of sound mind we will be able to discuss this a little more rationally?" Shunsui said, managing to fake a calm and soothing tone of voice that hid his own discomfort. "Saya was saying that she had some important things that she wanted to discuss with me. Perhaps we should all sit down and talk about these things together and then decide what is best for her."

Saya looked up at her brother. It was almost like he knew what she was going to talk to him about.

_"You're Aniki is smarter than you sometimes give him credit for. Besides, I'm glad he's getting everyone calmed down. Sheesh Saya, it's been awhile since I've seen you bestow **that** look on someone."_

Daisuke let out a very vocal sigh and it appeared that he was calming down a bit. "Fine. But if I don't feel comfortable that Saya will be safe here then she will come home with me."

"How does that sound to you, Saya-chan?" Shunsui asked his sister.

She frowned slightly, as it seemed the overall decisions were being made without her, but she agreed. "That's fine." She answered shortly and then turned to head inside.

Shunsui shot a look at Ukitake who then followed Saya.

"Father, why don't we head around the house and have a seat in the garden? Saya will join us there when she is ready." Shunsui and Daisuke walked side by side in silence.

* * *

Saya realized that Ukitake was behind her but she didn't bother to turn around to look at him. It wasn't like he had tried to stop her or catch up to walk beside her, he was simply following Saya to her destination. Opening the door, Saya stepped into the library. She noticed that Juushiro hadn't made to follow in behind her so she stuck her head back out into the hallway.

"Are you coming?" She asked. Juushiro made no indication that he would join her. Seeing this, Saya scoffed slightly and went back into the library. She started to run her hands over the shelves and shelves of books while walking the room in an attempt to calm herself.

_"Looks like he came in after all, Saya-sama."_ Saya turned to look and saw that Juushiro had chosen a book and started to gingerly flip through the pages.

Saya switched her gaze back to books in front of her, but just sort of stared through them. She just wanted to look at something other than Juushiro.

_"I wonder what he's thinking right now?" Saya asked._

_"He's probably thinking that your father is worried, your brother is feeling guilty, and you're feeling confused."_

_"I am feeling confused. How could father act like that?"_

_"He's your father. They have this annoying little tendency to care about their daughters, and when they find out that said daughter has been hurt, they have this really bad habit of wanting to protect them even more."_

Saya actually smiled a little bit in response.

_"Now that's better, Saya-sama. Besides, I think Ukitake-taicho likes it better when you smile."_

"Confused and idle I may be

Wondering what's been happening to me

And I can't think

Nothing seems real.

I'm standing at a crossroads now

And I don't know how to figure out

Where it is

I need to go from here."

Saya looked at Ukitake who had just recited a poem from the book he was reading. It seemed to fit her current situation rather well.

"Who wrote that, Ukitake-san?" Saya asked, walking over to join him on the couch he was sitting on.

Ukitake just smiled, "Your brother."

Saya looked at him confused, "I'm sorry, did you say my Aniki wrote that?"

"Mmhhmm. He wrote it when we were first in the academy. Your brother had been forced to attend Yamamoto's school by your parents, so at first he wasn't sure if he even wanted to become a shinigami. Eventually he looked at his abilities as a blessing; one that he could use to help others who could not defend themselves. But when we first started, he was feeling confused about all the things he was experiencing and what it meant for him and for what purpose. Probably like you are now, huh, Saya-sama?"

Saya wasn't sure how to respond, so she just nodded.

"Why don't we join your brother and father out in the garden?"

"Yeah, sure."

Juushiro stood and offered his hand to Saya to help her up. Saya smiled up at the white haired shinigami while she put her hand in his.

* * *

"Father, there are some things going on with Saya and before you take her back home, we need to listen to what she has to say." Shunsui said to his father, finally breaking the silence. They were both sitting down on one of the benches in Shunsui's garden.

"What are you talking about, Shunsui? That's an incredibly vague statement."

"Yes, I know. I'm not entirely sure myself, but I have a theory."

"Which is?"

"I think that Saya has the ability to become a shinigami, perhaps she was a shinigami before she lost her memory. She apparently performed shunpo in that game of tag she played with her friends. I've felt her reitsu change and flare depending on what's going on around her. She gets hungry often and can eat as much as me. But the most convincing piece of evidence I've seen to support this theory is that Saya was able to kill the hollow using kidou. Of course, I think she was unaware of what she was doing at the time, but still."

"Shunsui, if she was a shinigami before, then wouldn't some captain have claimed her long ago? She would have been found ages ago."

"That's true as well. But it's what my gut tells me. I think she was intending to discuss these things with me tonight."

"Very well. I'll listen to what Saya has to share with us. I don't know how I feel about all of this though."

"Understandably so, she's your daughter."

A few moments later Shunsui and Daisuke were joined by Saya and Ukitake. He had her on his arm and she was looking up at him with a smile on her face. As much as Daisuke hated the debasing look she had given him earlier; he thought that he hated the infatuated look he gave that man even more. Like all fathers before him and like all the fathers that will come after him, Daisuke suddenly looked at his daughter's crush like he was evil incarnate. He had made up his mind, it didn't matter what Saya had to say because she was coming home with him tonight. Away from the Sereitei and _ALL_ the dangers that lied within in.

"Are you ready to share with us, Saya-chan?" Shunsui asked.

Saya sat in-between her brother and father, "Yes, I think I am..."

* * *

Author's Note: I've been getting a lot of hits on my story and again, I want to thank everyone for reading and commenting and reviewing. Special thanks go to: Daydreamer Magby, Sareenah, White Alchemist Taya, Shadowman55, GermanBubbles, and Ellie Tennis girl. Thank you all for your helpful and kind remarks! I appreciate every one that I get.

This was a hard chapter for me to write! I've been mulling over it for what seems like forever and hitting blocks. I know where I want to go, it's getting there that's the challenge! After re-writing and throwing out a lot of ideas, I finally decided that I needed to extend it into two chapter in order to be happy with this part of the story. I hope that everyone enjoyed reading it though! Please stay tuned for the next installment! Oh yeah, and please review! THANKS BUNCHES! :-D


	15. Chapter 15: Up on the Roof

Disclaimer: (unfortunately) I don't own Bleach or anything affiliated with the name

* * *

"..."

"Saya, you can start anytime now." Shunsui said to his sister. They had been sitting in silence for what seemed like an hour. In reality it had only been a few minutes, but it was driving everybody nuts.

"I know I can start anytime, Shunsui. I didn't really prepare what it was I wanted to say so now I'm all blocked up."

_"Tell them you hear a voice in your head and it's telling you to do things."_

_"Okay."_ Saya agreed with her purple eyed friend.

"I hear a voice in my head and it's telling me to do things."

The reaction that Saya received wasn't what she had expected. Her father looked at her as if she was crazy. Shunsui had a quizzical look on his face and Ukitake just smirked slightly.

"And what is this voice telling you to do, Saya?" Daisuke asked in a wary sort of tone. _Oh no, my daughter has gone mental. I'm going to have to lock her up in an institute if she's hearing a voice in her head AND it's telling her to DO things?_

_"You might want to tell your father that I said you weren't crazy. That's not a good look he's giving you."_

_"Yes you're right."_

"Don't look at me like that, father! I'm not crazy. Even the voice in my head said that I wasn't crazy."

"Uh, Saya-chan… that's not the most comforting thing to hear." Daisuke responded.

"You know what? I said the same thing to him earlier! That a voice in my head telling me I wasn't crazy didn't make me feel any better! Actually, it made me feel like I was crazier!" That's when Saya started to hear the laughter.

_"Damn you! You just made me sound crazy! This is supposed to be a serious conversation. He's threatening to take me home. I might not get to be a shinigami if we can't convince my father that I'm safe… and SANE!"_

_"Couldn't help myself Saya-sama. You were too easily led."_

_"I'm not listening to you for the rest of this conversation."_

_"That probably wouldn't be a good idea either."_

"Saya-chan? You're spacing out." Shunsui said as he nudged his sister gently.

"Oh, sorry. I mean. He was laughing at me."

"So it's a 'him,' is it? And he was... _laughing_ at you?" Daisuke asked, still a little cautious.

"Right." Saya said looking at all the faces staring back at her. Shunsui and Juushiro were both wearing similarly amused looking faces. Daisuke was still looking at his daughter as if she was going to need to be hospitalized soon. Saya sighed heavily. "Can I try again?"

"Please do, imo-chan." Shunsui said with a laugh.

"Okay, this voice in my head that talks to me does belong to a male. It's not a voice that I've heard before…"

_"You've heard me before, you just don't remember!"_

"Right. I mean, I don't remember hearing him before. It's just recently that I've been hearing him. Basically, since I've come to the Sereitei is when he started talking to me.

_"No, it's just recently that you've been able to hear me. I've been trying to talk to you for twenty years!"_

"Don't interrupt!"

"We didn't say anything, Saya." Daisuke said, looking confused. _Oh Lord, it's true. She's crazy._

"No, not you… Anyway, what I meant was that I've just recently been able to hear him. Happy?"

_"Yes."_

"Uh, sure?" Daisuke asked.

"No, I wasn't asking you if you were happy, father… uh, nevermind. Okay, so the first time I heard him was playing tag with Miroku-kun and Hiami-san. Then I heard him again walking into Kurotsuchi-taicho's lab. Um, I heard him when I woke up one morning, right after an odd sort of dream. Let's see… when else?"

_"While you were picking flowers and you didn't listen to me when I told you to run from the hollow right away."_

"Oh yes, HE was the one who tried to warn me about the hollow, but I didn't listen right away because I didn't understand exactly what it was he was tryingo say. It was actually because of HIM I think I managed to get away… well, almost away. Oh! The first time I actually saw him was after one of my weird dreams. Um, is this making sense?"

"No." Daisuke said.

"Yes." Shunsui and Juushiro said at the same time.

Saya smiled at hearing their response. "So you know what I'm talking about, then? You know I'm not crazy, right?"

"Sounds like your zanpakuto is communicating with you, Saya." Shunsui said, "What has he said to you?"

_"I told you that your aniki would understand better than you thought he would."_ The purple-eyed man said in a sing-song sort of tone.

"Well… he told me that I 'lost a lot of myself' twenty years ago. I do not fully understand what he means by that, yet. He said that he'll help me regain my memories. He told me… he told me that in order to remember, I need to become a shinigami." Saya looked up hesitantly. Shunsui and Juushiro seemed to be expecting something like this. Daisuke, on the other hand, looked surprised and then that turned into a frown.

"Saya, I don't like the sound of this. You being a shinigami is dangerous."

"Perhaps? But if I become a shinigami then I can protect myself from those dangers. Right, Aniki?" Saya said turning to her brother.

"It's true you would learn how to fight and defend not only yourself but others as well."

"See father?" Saya said turning back to Daisuke, "I'll be able to help others as well and take care of myself." It was really herself and her memories that Saya was more concerned with at the moment, but thought it good measure to include 'others' as well since Shunsui had mentioned it anyway.

"You may get killed. This isn't some sort of game, Saya. These dangers are very real."

"I know that."

"You've already been hurt. I don't want to see it happen again."

"Yes, I know, but…"

"Do you know how much worse it was this time? Twenty years ago, I felt sorry for you and brought you in off the street. Then I was concerned as one soul to another. This time, even though your injuries weren't nearly as severe, I was worried and scared about you, Saya-chan. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"I know that, father. But don't you want me to get my memories back? I have the possibility of knowing who I was, what I was. I might even have family somewhere."

Daisuke looked at Saya with sad eyes. "Are you not happy with who you are now, Saya? Are we not your family?" His voice was cheerless when he spoke in a gentle sort of way.

Saya realized how much that statement must have hurt her father and at first she didn't know what to say. She just sat there, looking dumbfounded for a few moments.

"I think I'll head inside to see how dinner is coming along." Ukitake said as he bowed and left the garden. He knew that it would have been inappropriate for him to stay with the family any longer.

Saya turned to watch him leave and then looked back at her father with a poignant face.  
"Father, I didn't mean that I wasn't happy with who I am now or that I wanted another family. It is because of this family that I am so happy. I love you, mother, Shunsui, Michi, and Kikyo very much. I always will. I feel that I am your daughter even though you only recently adopted me into the family. You will always be my father and I will always be your daughter. Akemi will always be my mother. Shunsui, Michi and Kikyo will always be my siblings. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Those words seemed to ease Daisuke a little. He had just lost his wife and he was afraid of losing his daughter. She seemed confident that nothing would change between them, even if she did remember and find her "real" family. He could tell that Saya honestly loved all of them as her own family, as they loved her.

Then as if Saya was reading his mind she said, "You are my family; my true family. It doesn't matter who I find, if I find anyone at all. No matter what happens, I will be a Kyouraku until I pass from this world."

Daisuke smiled at his daughter. He understood what she meant, but he was too wise to think that nothing would change.

"But please understand; this is something that I need to do. Won't you support me?" She asked.

Daisuke looked at his daughter for a while, thinking carefully about what he should say and do. On one hand, he wanted her home where she would be safe and he would be able to protect her himself. Even though he was starting to see her point, he did not like the idea of Saya staying in the Sereitei. He knew that being a Shinigami was a dangerous job, and he had seen the many injuries and subsequent scars that Shunsui received during his centuries of service to the Gotei thirteen. Furthermore, it was clear that Saya was in danger of being brainwashed and swept away by one of the soldiers (and Daisuke had a good idea about who might be doing the "sweeping") so for her own good she should be taken away from their negative influence. On the other hand, Saya had a right to her own memories and experiences. If it really was her zanpakuto spirit speaking to her and she had the ability to kill a hollow without even being aware of what she was doing, then it would be best for her if she trained to become a shinigami. Plus, every daughter falls in love with some man at some point and her father was going to have to accept it... even if he didn't like it. Daisuke let out an audible sigh.

"What do you think, Shunsui?" he asked.

"I think it's best that Saya become a shinigami. She has the ability within her. Plus, it's only fair she be allowed access to a way that may possibly bring her past back to her."

"I thought you'd say that." Daisuke sighed again. "Fine, Saya, you have my permission to become a shinigami."

Saya jumped onto her father and threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you so much, father! You won't regret your decision, I promise you!" She said and then kissed his cheek. "I will make you proud!"

Daisuke just smiled back at his daughter. He wasn't quite sure how he could feel happy and sad at the same time, but he was managing to pull it off. Even so, Lord Kyouraku was sure that he was going to lose his daughter in one way or another.

* * *

Saya lay awake in bed thinking of what had transpired that night. Although her father agreed to let her begin training, he seemed to have a defeated look about him when he left. Saya knew he wasn't happy with the idea of her becoming a shinigami, but he was a reasonable man, and reason made him succumb to the decision. She decided to go and talk with her brother a little more; she had already heard him moving around on the roof.

But it wasn't Shunsui that Saya found up there, it was Ukitake. Saya was surprised to see the white haired captain sitting there, looking over the eighth division. He had such a peaceful presence surrounding him.

"Shunsui went off to have a few drinks with Matsumoto-san." Juushiro answered before Saya had the chance to ask.

"Oh, I see. I'm sorry to disturb you, taicho. I'll just head back to my room." Saya made to leave.

"You aren't disturbing me, Kyouraku-san. Besides, Shunsui had told me of your night time habits. I feel odd saying this while it is I who am the guest in your brother's house, but you are welcome to sit with me for a little while."

"Oh, of course. Thank you, Ukitake-san." Saya was feeling a little embarrassed and thanked the stars above that it was night, that way Juushiro couldn't see her blush. Saya started to take a few steps toward him when she realized how inappropriate this whole scenario was. She was in a thin sleeping kimono and they were on a roof, alone, in the dark. Saya didn't think twice about it when she was with Shunsui, but he was her brother. Being up here with Juushiro was different, wasn't it?

Juushiro looked back towards Saya and then stood up. "Are you changing your mind about staying up here with me, Kyouraku-san?"

"Well, it's not that." Saya said uncomfortably. Juushiro smiled a little.

"Wait right here." He said as he jumped off of the roof.

Saya just stood there feeling a little silly. _Is he coming back?_ She thought to herself.

_"I have a strong feeling that he'll be back. Wait and watch."_

_"You always say things like that as if you know what's going to happen."_ Saya said to her zanpakuto.

Just then, Ukitake popped back on the roof holding a quilted kimono.

"Here you are, Kyouraku-san. Will this make you feel better about staying up here with me?" Juushiro asked with a smile.

Saya blushed once again and allowed Juushiro to help put the kimono on her. It was warm against the cool breeze and gave Saya the extra layer she needed to feel comfortable around the older gentleman.

_"What did I tell you? How good am I?"_ Saya's zanpakuto teased and boasted.

Saya just smiled in her amusement. "Arigato, Ukitake-taicho."

"Ukitake-san sounds so much better coming from you, Kyouraku-san. You'll be calling me "taicho" for a long time now if you're going to become a shinigami. Let's not rush the use of it."

Saya gave him a shy sort of look, "Oh, yes. I'm sorry."

"No need to be sorry either." He said in his kind way.

The two sat there in silence for some time just looking out over the white buildings. Saya was trying to think of something to say to break the silence; she loved the sound of Juushiro's voice and wanted to hear it some more. But Ukitake beat her to it.

"Kyouraku-san, you were saying earlier that you were having odd dreams. What was it that you were dreaming about?"

Saya continued to sit there, the only thing that changed was that she dropped her gaze to her lap and furrowed her brow.

_"What should I tell him?" She asked her friend._

_"Whatever you want, Saya-sama. It is not for me to decide what you choose to share with others."_

_"Well, do you think I should tell him everything? Or just some things?"_

_"Saya-sama, in my opinion this is someone that you can trust. But if you don't feel comfortable telling him everything then don't do it. You don't have to lie either though."_

"You don't have to answer me if you don't want to, Kyouraku-san." Ukitake said again.

"No, it's fine. I was just thinking is all." Saya sighed a little bit. "It's just that the dreams I'm having seem to be pieces of my past. I can't say that understand any of them fully, though. Actually, I'm rather confused by them. I was dreaming about a little girl and her mother. I think I was the little girl and in my dream I was picking flowers for my grandfather."

"Oh? That sounds like a nice dream." Ukitake said.

"Yes, it was." Saya said a little plainly. She didn't feel like mentioning the huge palace she saw. It was highly unlikely that she lived there. Anyway, she was found attacked on the street in Rukongai. What would someone who lived in a palace like that be doing in Rukongai?

"Any others?" Ukitake asked in his curious way.

"Well, I keep dreaming of a place that looks like Kurotsuchi's private lab. I mean… he's not in my dreams or anything."

"Is there someone else you see then?"

"No," Saya lied quickly. She wasn't sure why she didn't want to share all of her information with Juushiro. Saya knew that he was incredibly trustworthy and probably could help her figure out some of these clues; but she just didn't feel ready to start sharing everything. It was only recently that she was remembering anything at all and she was protective of her new memories. "I'm just in the lab looking around at things."

"I see." Juushiro said. Saya could tell that he knew she wasn't sharing everything, but he was too kind to push the matter. He probably understood that she was uncomfortable to a certain extent.

"It must be hard, Kyouraku-san, to be in your position. After so many years of not knowing who you are or where you came from, you suddenly have a zanpakuto spirit talking to you and you have odd memories coming back that you don't understand. I'm sure you have a lot of conflicting emotions right now." Ukitake said to Saya. She just looked at him while he contined to talk. "I'm sure part of you is incredibly eager to find out all the mysteries of your past. The other part might feel guilty, like you're turning your back on your current family that has shown you so much love and kindness."

Saya only nodded her head slowly in response.

"I know your father might have a hard time accepting it, but you have a right to know who you once were. You'll probably become a fine shinigami in the process."

"Ari…Arigato." Saya said quietly as she looked back down at her knees.

Ukitake just smiled, "I know Shunsui wholly supports your decision. I don't think that he's afraid of losing his sister in the same way your father is afraid of losing his daughter. But then again, you and Shunsui have a very strong bond. Even if things change, your caring for each other will not." He finished and then coughed slightly.

Saya turned to smile at Ukitake. His words were very comforting and she appreciated all that he had to say to her. But when Ukitake turned his head towards Saya and smiled, that's when she first noticed it.

"Ukitake-san, you have something at the corner of your…"

Saya was cut off when Ukitake started to go into a fit of violent coughs. The hand that covered his mouth had blood dripping through his fingers and down his wrist and arm. The white sleeve of his captain's haori was slowly being stained red.

"Ukitake-san!" Saya yelled out as she went to grab him. He had positioned himself so that he was on his knees as he coughed up the scarlet fluid from his lungs. Not knowing what to do, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders in an attempt to help support him as he continued to hack and spit. After a few minutes his fit had died down. Saya was pale and filled with helplessness and fear. She listened as Ukitake's breathing was slow and labored.

"I'm sorry…(cough)… Kyouraku-san… (cough)… I…"

"Please don't apologize, Ukitake-san. Are you okay now?"

"(cough) (cough) Yes, I think it has subsided for now. I should probably go inside and (cough) get into bed." Saya nodded in agreement to Ukitake's statement. She didn't really know what else to do.

As she helped him stand up she saw the blood dripping out of the corners of his mouth and then he quickly wiped his lips with the already stained haori. He moved slowing to climb back into the guest room that Shunsui had given him for the night. Although it would be looked upon as inappropriate, Saya decided to follow him to his room.

"I'm alright Kyouraku-san, you don't need to follow me." Ukitake said. His tone wasn't as gentle as it usually was, but he wasn't harsh towards Saya either.

"Yes, I know. But I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Ukitake sighed. He was used to people overreacting to his fits and then following him around as if he were unable to care of himself in the slightest way. Of course, there were times when this was true and he was unable to do anything but lay in bed while his body tortured him; but this wasn't one of those times. Although it might have been perceived as bad to Saya; he judged it as a minor inconvenience. However, he knew full well that this attack most likely signaled several days of sickness to follow.

"I'm sorry Ukitake-san, I didn't mean to offend you."

"I'm not offended, Kyouraku-san. But I really am alright." Ukitake said. He hated to be viewed as weak or incompetent because of his disease. He wasn't either of those things; and of all people, he hated to think that Saya might think of him that way.

"I see," She sounded almost hurt at his somewhat dismissive tone. "I'll retire myself then. Goodnight." She bowed to Ukitake and then walked out of the room. She hesitated in front of the door as she heard him cough and hack a bit more, but then went on to her room.

Ukitake stared at the closed door as he started to undress. He with odd sorts of emotions running through him. _Maybe I could have asked her stay for just a little while?_

* * *

Author's Note: Thank you again to everyone for reviewing and commenting. I appreciate every one that I get, and like I've said before, it totally makes my day when I see someone has left something! I'm glad that you're continuing to enjoy my story; I know that I'm enjoying writing it.

I just spent 4 days in Tucson, Arizona. A friend was getting married and it was a beautiful time! This chapter (and part of the next one) was written on the airplane. Being confined in a small seat made me concentrate more and I wasn't so easily distracted by things going on around me! Haha! Anyway, thanks again and please leave your reviews and comments!


	16. Chapter 16: Light Training

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Bleach, even at 38,000 feet above the ground on a jet, aisle 7 seat F (window seat, yeah!).

* * *

Saya woke early the next morning. She hadn't slept well because she had been thinking about Juushiro.

_"Saya-sama is worried about the pretty white-haired man?"_

_"I told you he's not pretty, he's handsome."_

_"I already told you that he's pretty."_

_"….Shut-up."_

_"Oh ho ho! A tiny bit cranky with lack of sleep, ne?"_

_"Hmpf."_

_"If you're so worried, then why don't you go and check on him?"_

_"He didn't seem so keen on wanting me around to help him last night."_

_"Well, don't treat him as if he's an invalid and he might let you stay with him."_

_"Was I treating him like…."_

_"No, Saya-sama. But I'm sure that Ukitake-taicho is always pitied because of his disease and he probably grows tired of it. Don't pity him, just be there for him. He'll appreciate it much more."_

_"There you go again, with your 'all-knowing-ness.'"_ Saya said to her zanpakuto in a sarcastic manner.

_"Haven't we already established that I'm amazing at these sorts of things?"_ He teased back.

_"I think you established it. I haven't agreed, yet."_

_"'Yet?' You must know it's inevitable that you'll soon agree that I'm awesome then."_

_"Yeah, whatever."_

_"Anyway, why are you still in bed instead of checking on Captain Ukitake?"_

_"Fine, I'm getting up."_ Saya said as she threw the covers off. She called for Tsukiko and managed to get ready rather quickly.

"Tsukiko-chan, do you know how captain Ukitake is feeling?"

"He's still in bed, Saya-sama. One of the other servants said that he was coughing up blood all night. Kyouraku-sama has ordered us to take care of his every need until he feels better."

"Is that so?" Saya asked a little worriedly. "Tell me, where is my brother?"

"I believe he's still in bed too, mi'lady. He got in very late last night, uh, well actually early this morning."

"I see. Thank you, Tsukiko-chan, that will be all." Saya said as she dismissed her servant.

_"Ukitake doesn't sound like he's doing so well, does he?"_

_"From what I understand of his disease, Saya-sama, he has his good days and his bad. Sometimes the bad can last for days or weeks."_

_"That's horrible."_

_"No pity Saya-sama, we've discussed this."_

_"Alright. I'll try, but it truly is unfair that someone would have to deal with a disease like that. His own body is working against him."_

Saya walked out of her room and started towards Juushiro's. She stopped herself right outside his door. No sounds were coming from inside so she assumed that he was sleeping. It was still rather early, and she didn't want to disturb him if he hadn't slept well. She decided to make her way to the library but once she was at her destination she felt like she didn't want to be there either.

"Tsukiko-chan, I'm heading out for a little bit. Please tell my brother when he wakes up." Saya said as she walked out of the front door. Before realizing it, she was heading to the thirteenth division. Or at least, that's what she assumed. It looked vaguely familiar but otherwise she was most likely lost.

"KYOURAKU-CHAN!" A chipper voice yelled out to her.

Saya turned around to see a busty fukutaicho bounding her way, "Good morning, Matsumoto-san. How are you?" Saya observed Matsumoto's movements and decided that she was still a little tipsy this morning from the binge-drinking she and Shunsui had finished only hours prior.

"Very well, thanks Kyouraku-chan! It's nice to see you again. Where are you headed?"

"Uh, I'm not really sure. I guess I was going to the thirteenth division."

A mischievous glint passed through Matsumoto's eyes. "Are you going to visit someone?" She asked.

"Well, no… not really. I was going to let Shiba-dono know that Ukitake is sick and is staying at my brother's house. Plus, I was hoping that he would be able to help me with something."

"Oh I see! You're hoping Shiba-kun will help you figure out how to make Ukitake-taicho fall in love with you!" Matsumoto exclaimed.

"WHAT?! NO!" Saya said back.

"It's okay, Kyouraku-chan! I heard all about Kuchiki and Ukitake bringing flowers to you and how you liked Ukitake's better! I knew I would figure out who your crush was! But don't ask Kaien for help; he won't know what to do to snag a man like Ukitake. All you need is some womanly guidance from your's truly!" Rangiku said with a little wink and a huge smile on her face.

Saya was red from head to toe and thought that she might die from embarrassment right there. "No no no! I wasn't going to ask him for help to 'snag' Ukitake…. Wait! How do you know about the flowers?"

"Word travels fast around the Sereitei! I heard Kuchiki wasn't too happy about it either!"

_Word travels fast my ass._ Saya thought to herself knowing full well Shunsui had been with Matsumoto drinking the night before. Saya was sure he had something to do with this little rumor. She made a mental note to speak to him about it later; then she wondered if Ise-san would lend her that book?

"Well, I don't know about that. Like I said, I only wanted to inform Shiba-dono that his captain is sick. But I was going to ask him to help me get ready for the entrance exam. I want to become a Shinigami."

"OOOOOOOOOOH! How exciting, Kyouraku-chan!"

"Yes, well…" Saya started but was quickly cut off by another voice.

"Kyouraku-san, did I hear you correctly? You're planning on entering the academy?"

Saya turned around to see who had spoken. A kind-looking captain with wavy brown hair, thick rimmed glasses, and a smile came into view.

"Oh, hello there, Aizen-taicho. Um, yes… you heard me correctly." Saya said a little uncomfortably. _Where did he come from?_ She thought to herself.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to sneak up on you or startle you. I was just walking this way when I heard the two of you talking." Aizen said kindly.

"Oh… uh, what else did you hear, sir?" Saya questioned. She was hoping that he had missed what Matsumoto had said about "snagging" Ukitake-san.

"Hm? I only heard that last bit there, about you wanting to become a Shinigami. Why? Was there something else?" Aizen asked innocently enough.

"Oh no, nothing at all. I was just wondering." Saya said with a forced laughed. She really wasn't the best liar.

"Aizen-taicho!" Matsumoto sang out in her friendly voice, "Don't you think Saya-chan here will make a good shinigami? How exciting that she's joining the academy, ne?"

Aizen looked almost a little embarrassed. "Yes, Matsumoto-san, I think Kyouraku-san will make a fine shinigami."

"Uh, thank you." Saya said, feeling a little embarrassed herself.

"Kyouraku-san, won't you join me in walking back to my division? I have wanted to visit with you some more." Aizen said with a kind smile. "Of course you don't have to if you are in the middle of something else." He quickly added.

"Oh no, Aizen-taicho, I would be happy to walk and visit with you."

"Don't worry Kyouraku-chan! I'll head over to the thirteenth division for you and tell Shiba-kun what you said about Ukitake-taicho. I'll tell him to be ready to give you a crash course in some of the basic shinigami skills too! Tootles!" Matsumoto said as she quickly flashed towards division thirteen.

"Uh, thanks." Saya said, even though Matsumoto was more than out of earshot by that point. Saya then turned her gaze back to Aizen who seemed to be staring at her intently and she shifted uncomfortably.

"Please follow me, Kyouraku-san, my division isn't too far off." Aizen said as he began walking.

"Oh yes, of course." As she began to follow him she started to get an uncomfortable feeling but couldn't quite place what it was. "Um, excuse me, Aizen-taicho? I was wondering if Ichimaru-fukutaicho was back at your headquarters?" Saya asked. She assumed the odd feeling was directly related to that man; not having liked him from when she met him before.

"I don't think he is right now. I have him running errands and they'll probably take all morning. Why do you ask?"

"No reason in particular, sir. I was just wondering."

"I'll be sure to let him know that you inquired about him. It'll probably make his day." Aizen looked back to Saya and said with a smile.

"Oh… of course." Saya answered back, once again forcing a smile to appear on her lips. She didn't care for Gin very much. That man's face gave Saya a creepy feeling; and his voice made her feel like poison was running through her veins. It was utterly baffling to Saya how such a kind man like Aizen-taicho could get along with such slime such as Ichimaru Gin.

_"You shouldn't go on first impressions, Saya."_ Her zanpakuto said with a warning sort of tone. _"You might find you were wrong in the end."_

_"But Ichimaru is creepy!"_

_"Who said I was referring to Ichimaru?"_

_"What are you saying? Who are you referring to?"_ A very confused Saya asked; but she did not receive an answer.

"You know, Kyouraku-san, the entrance exam is only a month away. Do you think you're ready for it?" Aizen said after they had been walking in silence for a few minutes.

"I haven't really thought of it, to tell you the truth. Aniki has never taught me anything and I've never held a sword or been in a fight that I know of."

Saya couldn't see the smirk that came to Aizen's face when she made her statement. "Yes but Kyouraku-san, didn't you defeat the hollow that attacked you by using kidou?"

"You heard about that?"

"You'll find that word travels fast in the Sereitei."

"Oh, I see." Saya said, not liking that this was the second time she heard that phrase this morning. "I wasn't conscious of what I was doing at the time. I just had this instinctual urge to protect myself, so I guess that's what I did."

"Well, I'll be interested to see how well you do at academy. Here you are." Aizen said as he slid open the door to his office to allow Saya entry.

"Thank you, sir."

"Please, have a seat and I'll make us some tea."

Saya looked around Aizen's office. It was minimally decorated, a plant here, a picture there, but not a lot. He did, however, have a huge bookcase filled with at least two or three hundred books. Saya noted that most of the books dealt with the history of the Sereitei along with that of the material world; others were of haiku and philosophy.

"Here you are, Kyouraku-san." Aizen said with a smile as he handed her a tea cup. "Would you like some honey?"

"Yes please and thank you." Saya said as she took her cup.

After a few minutes of silence, in which the two were taking slow sips of their tea, Saya started to feel antsy. The quiet was driving her crazy but she did her best not to fidget and she knew she shouldn't speak first. She was in Aizen's office on his invitation and it would have been rude to speak out of turn… but she was finding it really hard. Aizen sat next to her, sipping on his tea and secretly enjoyed the fact that he knew Saya was uncomfortable in this silence. He would let it last just a little longer knowing that she wouldn't step out of her "place" and speak first.

"So Kyouraku-san," Aizen said after another couple of minutes, "what is it that you hope to achieve as a Shinigami within the protection squads?"

Saya was grateful for the break in silence but didn't know quite how to answer his question; so she decided to be honest. "Well sir, I'm hoping that I will regain my memories."

Aizen looked at her a little surprised which caused Saya to shift uneasily. _I probably shouldn't have said that. It's not very noble of me; in fact it's quite selfish now that I think about it._ _I can't help it though, that's what I want. I want to remember my past._

"What makes you think you'll regain your memories?"

"Well, I, uh…" Saya didn't know what she should tell him, "It's just a feeling I have."

Aizen just smiled at her and laughed a little. "Kyouraku-san, it's very easy to tell when you're lying or hiding some of the truth."

"Oh, it's that obvious, huh?" Saya said a little embarrassed. She could feel her face flush after she was called out. But then she looked back up and met Aizen's kind eyes.

"It's alright, Kyouraku-san, you don't have to tell me if you don't want. I don't mean to make you uncomfortable."

Saya smiled up at the older Shinigami. _"What do you think? I can trust him, right?"_ Saya didn't receive an answer. In fact, she would later notice that she wasn't easily able to speak with her zanpakuto spirit throughout the time she was with Aizen. But despite her inability to contact him, she felt comfortable with Aizen.

"I'm sorry, sir. It's not that I mean to lie or keep anything from you. It's just that I don't fully understand everything myself. It's hard for me to explain, that's all." That wasn't a lie and Aizen could tell as well.

He just smiled a little bit. "Of course, Kyouraku-san, don't worry about it." He took another sip of his tea. "Since you're probably going to start training with Shiba-san, at least it sounded that way, why don't you at least let me give you your first lesson."

Saya quickly inhaled with excitement. "Really? Do you mean it, Aizen-taicho?"

"Of course, Kyouraku-san, I wouldn't say it otherwise." He smiled.

"Thank you so much!" She exclaimed, "Um, what is it you're going to teach me?"

"Well, I am taking the easy way out. I already know that you can use kidou, even if you were unaware of being able to tap into that skill. So I'm just going to help you concentrate your spirit energy in the palm of your hand." As he finished the statement, he formed what looked like a large blue energy orb in his hand. Saya looked on in awe, excited to try it herself.

"How do I do it?" She asked.

Aizen smiled to himself as he looked at Saya's excited face. "Here, give me your hand." Saya held out her hand and Aizen flipped it so her palm was facing up. With his other hand he drew a small circle in her palm with is finger. "Close your eyes and concentrate on this spot here. Now imagine a small light, no bigger than a pin prick coming out of your palm, then slowly make it grow with your mind. Think of it ballooning out slowly and with control. Can you see it in your mind? Concentrate now." He instructed as he watched a small orb form and grow in her hand. If Saya's eyes had been opened she would have seen the smirk and wicked glint in Aizen's eye. "Open your eyes, Kyouraku-san. Be careful not to break your concentration."

Saya slowly opened her eyes and looked at the purple, grapefruit-sized energy orb in her left palm. Seeing what she had accomplished made her smile. _That was easier than I thought it would be!_ Saya said to herself. She looked up at Aizen who seemed to be beaming at her.

"Very good, Kyouraku-san. Now, it takes concentration to reduce it as well. If you lose your focus then you might injure yourself. Do what I told you before, but now shrink the orb instead of making it grow."

Saya found it was a little harder to shrink her reitsu ball but was still successful. "Thank you so much, Aizen-taicho! I can't wait to show my brother what I can do!"

Aizen just laughed a little, "You're a natural at it, Kyouraku-san. I only gave you a means to tap into your own talent."

"Maybe I should call you Aizen-sensei now, ne? You could say you're my first teacher." After Saya said that she was a little embarrassed by her statement. It seemed that Aizen was a little shocked by it too. "Oh! Sorry! I um…"

"Don't worry about it, Kyouraku-san. I'm honored that you would refer to me as such. But I don't think I truly deserve the title. Not yet at least." He finished with a wink. "Well, I should let you get on to the thirteenth division. Shiba-san is expecting you by now, I'm sure."

"Arigato! Arigatougozaimasu!" Saya said as she stood up and bowed.

"Any time, Kyouraku-san. Please visit again soon and good luck learning your new skills."

Saya bowed one more time and then stepped out of the office. Aizen smirked to himself, _This might be too easy._

KNOCK! KNOCK!

Aizen opened the door to a embarrassed looking Kyouraku Saya.

"Yes?" He asked with a raised brow.

"Um, could you tell me how to get to the thirteenth division? I can't seem to find it now that I'm not following my brother's reitsu." Saya mumbled.

"Oh course, Kyouraku-san," Aizen gave Saya his kind smile, "You just go…."

* * *

"That seemed pretty easy there, Taicho." A sliver haired fox said to his captain.

Aizen just smirked at his subordinate and sat down behind his desk, resting his face on his fist.

"Saya-chan already wantin' to call ya' 'Sensei' an' all." The fox's grin only grew wider. "Why ya' want her ta get her powers, anyway?"

"I think it'll be beneficial." Aizen simply responded.

"Don' know what ya' mean there, Taicho; but then again, I don' follow most of what ya' say. It all seems to work out though, right?"

Aizen answered with another smirk.

* * *

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Saya finally found her way to the thirteenth division, thanks to Aizen's good directions. She looked around for Kaien but was having a hard time locating him. Finally she noticed him standing on one of the building's porches staring out over his soldiers.

"Shiba-dono!" Saya yelled to him, but he didn't look. In fact, he seemed to be totally engrossed in something and nothing was going to break his attention from it. She walked up to him and followed his eye sight. He had been staring a very beautiful Shinigami with long black hair that she wore pulled back, with bangs swooping across her forehead. She seemed to be very kind and well-liked by her colleagues.

"Who is that, Shiba-dono?" Saya said, now right beside him.

"AH!" Kaien almost fell over he was so startled. The woman he had been staring at and two of her friends looked his direction and started laughing a little bit, "Don't scare me like that!"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to sneak up on you! Besides, I yelled for you earlier and you didn't respond. It's not my fault you were making love-eyes at some woman and were too distracted to notice me walk up to you. I thought shinigami were supposed to be aware of their surroundings at all times, anyway?"

"I was not making 'love-eyes' at anyone."

"So who is she?"

"Her name is Miyako."

"I KNEW IT!" Saya exclaimed loudly, so loudly in fact that Kaien grabbed her roughly and clamped his hand on her mouth. This earned the two of them some rather odd looks from the nearby soldiers.

"OW!" Saya said when he finally let her go.

"Sorry about that. I didn't mean to be so rough; I just didn't want you to say anything else."

"Shiba-dono is embarrassed? Oh, that's so cute!" Saya said. She was having daydreams of Miyako-san and Shiba-dono getting married and making cute little babies with spiky hair and pretty features. Saya looked towards Miyako, who (Saya noticed) was stealing glances at Kaien whenever she had the chance. "Why don't you say something to her?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know. 'Hello Miyako-san, I was thinking that I'd like to get to know you better and maybe we could go out to dinner sometime?'"

"That would never work." Kaien said, looking a little defeated, "Besides, I doubt she even knows I exist."

"You're her superior, I'm sure she knows of your existence."

"You know what I mean! She probably doesn't look at me the same way I look at her. She's probably not attracted to me at all."

Saya looked at Kaien with a small smile on her face, "Shiba Kaien-dono is very handsome, and I'm sure most girls around here would agree with me."

"You think so?"

Saya wanted to tease him but knew that Kaien was feeling a little vulnerable right now, so she answered him seriously, "Yes, Shiba-dono. I wouldn't have said it if I didn't think so."

"Well, maybe if I knew she liked me back? I would have a little more confidence in approaching her."

"Leave it to me!" Saya beamed up at Kaien. She was rather enjoying this conversation they were having. It was nice to seem him exposing himself to her in this way. Although Saya thought Shiba as a likeable guy, she was so used to his abruptness that she didn't see the genuinely nice guy that lay beneath the exterior.

Kaien looked a little worried, "What do you mean? What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to find out if she likes you." Saya stated matter-of-factly. "But don't worry. I'll do it on my way out of the division so she doesn't think that you just sent me over here to find out for you."

"I don't know about this, Kyouraku."

"Trust me."

Kaien sighed a little. "Fine, do whatever you want."

"YAY!" Saya exclaimed which made Kaien shoot her a look. "I mean 'yay.'" Saya said much quieter the second time around. "So are you going to teach me something now or not?"

"Oh sure! Rangiku told me all about you wanting to become a Shinigami. The entrance exam isn't that far off, but I can teach you some things in that time. With my guidance, you'll surely qualify for the advanced course."

"Advanced course?"

"Yeah, all the incoming members will be split into two classes; the advanced and average."

"Oh, I see."

"Anyway, how about I teach you some of the first basic self-defense moves?"

Saya's mouth curved into a huge smile. "That'll be great! Are you sure you have time for this? I mean, won't you have to run the division while Ukitake-san is ill?"

"Don't worry, it'll all be fine. We need to work on getting you into the academy."

Over the next several hours, Saya paid close attention while Kaien taught her five basic self-defense moves. Two of them were what to do if someone grabbed your shoulder and the other three taught Saya how to get out of someone's grasp if they had her by the wrist. Saya wanted to move on to something else, but Kaien wouldn't let her until he was satisfied with her progress. "_The key to good defense is not having to the think through the steps; it should be automatic. That takes performing the same move countless times until it becomes second nature."_ He said over and over again in response to her whining to try something new. They practiced them over and over again until Saya felt comfortable and could perform each maneuver without too much thought and effort. Kaien commented on her being a quick learner.

"Thanks again, Shiba-dono!" Saya said, "I'll see you tomorrow!"

Kaien said his goodbye and went into the office to finish some paperwork. Before Saya left the thirteenth division to head home, she found Miyako.

"Hello there, Miyako-san, how are you tonight?"

Mikyako looked at Saya, "Oh, I'm fine thank you. Um, how do you know my name? We've never met before just now, have we?"

"Oh, I think Ukitake-taicho must have pointed you out to me at some point." Saya lied, it actually came out pretty believable. _Hhhmmm, I must be better about lying when I'm doing it for the benefit of someone else._ Saya thought to herself. "I'm Kyouraku Saya, Shunsui's little sister."

"Oh, I see. It's very nice to meet you, Kyouraku-sama. How do you like the Sereitei."

"It's very nice here and I like it very much. Everyone has made my visit so pleasant."

"That's good. I noticed you came to visit Shiba-fukutaicho. Are you two friendly?"

There it was; an innocent sounding question that at face value was a very expected thing to say to someone. But Saya knew the real reason behind it. Miyako was digging to see if Kaien and Saya were intimate in anyway. Saya smiled kindly at Miyako, "Well, I just met him not too long ago when I first got here. He's actually going to help me get ready for the academy's entrance exam. I appreciate his help." Saya let a few moments pass before continuing to speak. "He's very friendly, that Shiba-dono. Don't you think, Miyako-san?"

"Oh… yes I suppose he is. Shiba-fukutaicho is a very good leader. I admire him a lot for his honesty and strength." Miyako said. Saya noticed a slight blush appear on Miyako's cheeks.

"Shiba-dono would surely be embarrassed if he knew such a beautiful subordinate such as yourself was giving him those nice compliments." Saya only noticed Miyako's cheeks grow redder. "Please forgive me if I seem too bold only having just met you, but I dare say you admire Shiba-dono in a way other than a subordinate admires a superior? You can correct me if I'm wrong of course." Saya smiled.

"Well, uh…" Miyako was clearly uncomfortable and Saya knew what it meant. It meant that she had feelings for Kaien. If she hadn't, she would have simply denied Saya's claim.

"I'm sorry, Miyako-san, it wasn't my place to ask."

"No, it's okay. I just would be so embarrassed if he found out. You won't tell him, will you."

"Tell him what?" Saya decided to play dumb. She wanted Miyako to admit herself.

"You won't tell him that I like him, will you?"

_PERFECT!_ Saya screamed in her head. "What if I was able to confirm the fact that he liked you too? Would it be okay if I told him then?"

"Well… I guess so."

"Don't worry. I won't say anything to him that'll be obvious. I'll get it out of him subtly." Saya said with a wink and then walked off. She didn't want to give Miyako time to change her mind.

* * *

When Saya got home it was just in time for dinner. She was starving after being required to use some of her spirit energy when she was with Aizen-taicho along with the physical energy she exerted while practicing with Kaien.

"Shin-san, where is my brother?" Saya asked when she didn't see him in the dining room waiting for her.

"He told me to give you this message word for word." Shin-san said as he pulled out a piece of parchment paper, "'Dearest imo-chan, my abusive fukutaicho has decided to submit me to the worst kinds of torture by forcing me to help her with paperwork until it's finished. It should take all night and probably the next few days. She claims this back-up in paperwork is due to my 'laziness' and constant avoidance of administrative duties. Personally, I think my Nanao-chan just wants to spend some alone time with me.'"

Saya couldn't help but laugh at her brother's message. She was sure that Ise-san was standing next to him when he wrote it and probably whacked him with that book of hers. "Thank you, Shin-san, how is Ukitake-san?"

"He is still not feeling well, Kyouraku-sama. He's been coughing most of the day and hasn't eaten much. It would probably help him if he managed to get some food in his system."

"Yes, well, after I eat my meal I'll personally take him dinner. Please have the kitchen prepare a tray."

"Yes, mi'lady. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No thank you, Shin-can, that will be all." Saya said. Shin gave her a bow and then left to go report Saya's orders to the kitchen.

* * *

Saya balanced the tray in one hand and knocked on Juushiro's door with another.

"Come in." A weak voice called out.

Saya carefully opened the door and stepped into Juushiro's room. Juushiro was laying in bed with a bowl next to him. Saya noticed that the bowl was filled with a scarlet fluid; the blood that Ukitake had been coughing up all day.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Ukitake-san, but it would be good for you if you managed to get something to eat."

"Hmm, thank you, Kyouraku-san. But I don't look to be served by the lady of the house."

"Don't be silly. I wouldn't be up here if I didn't want to be. The truth is I wanted to see you. I also wanted to apologize for last night. It was rude of me to follow you in here."

Ukitake took note of what she said and repeated it in his mind, _"I wanted to see you." That's what she said. Not, 'I wanted to see how you were doing,' but simply that she wanted to see me._ A small smile etched his face but the deep breath he took with it caused him to cough again. It was just a small fit though, with only a mouthful of blood.

Saya saw him spit into the bowl again and then took it off the bed and into the bathroom to clean it out. She also wet down a washcloth to take out to him. Walking back into the room she saw that Ukitake had already eaten the bowl of soup and was starting to eat the apple slices on his tray. He finished them quickly, not wanting to have an attack while trying to eat at the same time.

"Would you like me to send for more?" Saya asked.

"No thank you, Kyouraku-san, that was enough to satisfy me."

Saya held up the damp cloth and asked, "May I?"

Ukitake hesitated. He wasn't sure what he wanted, but went ahead and nodded at Saya. Saya took the cloth and wiped his brow, face, down his neck to his collar bone. Ukitake was happy with his decision. He enjoyed Saya's slow firm strokes with the cloth on his skin. He closed his eyes as he let the relaxation wash over him while she continued her pattern. After a while he felt her stop, only to start again a few moments later with a freshly dampened cloth. This time he felt her take his hands and massage his fingers, hands, and arms up to his elbow with the cloth. Sleep was starting to overtake his body as Saya continued her massage.

Assuming he had fallen asleep, Saya stopped with the cloth and made to get up and leave the room; but then she was stopped when she felt a hand grab her wrist.

"Please stay." Ukitake whispered, his eyes still closed being heavy with sleep and fatigue. "Please stay until I fall asleep."

Saya sat back down and stared at the handsome man, "Yes, I will stay with you." She whispered. She saw a small smile appear on his lips as he took his hand off of her wrist. Saya was happy in that moment, even though Ukitake was suffering with his illness, she was happy to be by his side. She stayed there long after he fell asleep, contented to be in his presence.

* * *

**Author's note**: Thank you so much to Sareenah, Ceretis Paribus, Alchemist White Taya, and Sorry Charlie for leaving their reviews and comments on the last chapter! I really appreciate it! Another thank you to those of you who have added this story as a favorite or to your alerts! I really appreciate it! Now please go and review, comment, or ask any questions you have regarding the fic! Thanks!

I know this was a long chapter, one of my longer ones actually, but I hope you enjoyed readng it as much as I enjoyed writing it! I know a lot of you are wanting the romance to bloom between Saya and Ukitake, but you'll have to patient... just like them!


	17. Chapter 17: Poetry Reading

Disclaimer: I (still) don't own Bleach

A/N: I'm assuming that everyone reading this story also reads the manga… if you don't then this chapter might be confusing in some parts. I would suggest reading the manga… although, like I've mentioned before, my story doesn't follow along perfectly, but I am trying to keep it as consistent as possible. Also, I've gotten a few questions on whether or not Saya will be in the academy the same time as Rukia, Renji, Momo, etc. Currently, my fic is about 80 years before the current story line, and they would have been in the academy about 40-45 years before the story line. So Saya is a little older than them. But as we work our way through, they'll be included in the fic. Thanks and enjoy!

* * *

"Ichijin-san, I haven't seen you for a while. Where have you been? I was starting to miss our time together." The captain smiled at his masked visitor.

"You and your… _friend_ have been working late nights together. I won't visit when he's here."

"You mean Mayuri-san?"

"Yes. I don't much care for his look or his attitude. I know where he's from, Taicho. Don't you think it's a little dangerous letting one of those kind out? Not to mention, you're giving him a lot of power and responsibility. Those shinigami are locked up for a reason, you know?"

"How do you know so much? I haven't even seen you in such a long time, yet you seem to have all of the information." The captain teased.

"It doesn't matter how I know. You've made it so he's second only to you, Taicho. Do you think he's trustworthy enough to be given this power?"

"I have him under control." The captain said in response. Ichijin noticed he didn't answer her question.

"I see. 'You have him under control,' you say? I think this stunt with letting him out and act as your right-hand man is dangerous. I wonder if you would be better off 'under control' yourself, ne Taicho?"

Ichijin just earned a laugh from the blonde captain who then turned back to his work.

* * *

Saya opened her eyes and saw the familiar ceiling above her bed. She blinked a few times trying to comprehend the dream that she had. _Mayuri-san? Isn't that Captain Kurotsuchi's given name? I don't understand… ugh. Why are all of these memories so confusing? I thought that when they started coming back I'd understand them. I don't think I've really understood any of them._ Saya thought, somewhat irritated with her current situation.

_"I'm sure they'll make sense eventually, Saya-sama. The important thing is that you're remembering the experiences you've had."_

_"So you're talking to me again?"_

_"What is this? You haven't heard me for twenty years and then the first time we're unable to communicate it's my fault?"_ Saya's zanpakuto teased.

_"Oh… well… sorry."_ Saya said feeling a little silly with her previous question.

_"So you seemed to enjoy your visit with Aizen."_ Her zanpakuto said rather flatly.

Saya seemed to have missed his tone as she filled with excitement thinking about what Aizen had taught her._ "I did… he taught me to…"_

_"I know what he taught you. Just because you couldn't hear me doesn't mean that I didn't know what was going on. You couldn't hear me for twenty years, but I know everything that you have been through up to this point."_ Her zanpakuto sounded somewhat irritated.

_"I'm… I'm sorry." _Saya wasn't sure how to handle being scolded by her zanpakuto.

_"… No Saya-sama, I am sorry. I don't mean to act rudely to you. It's hard for me to adjust as well. It has been… lonely over these years."_

_"How is it that I could know nothing about you? Rather, how is it that I couldn't remember you? It's clear you are such a huge part of myself."_

_"Like I said once before Saya-sama, you lost a lot of yourself."_

_"Why can't you tell me what happened? You know. I know you do."_

_"I would like to tell you everything, but at this point you aren't able to handle it, nor would you be able to do anything about it."_

_"I don't understand… yet again."_

_"Forgive me, Saya-sama. In any other circumstances I would never keep anything from you; but I do this for your own good and saftey. Don't worry, it may take some time, but your power and memories will return to you. Only then can you decide the best course of action for yourself."_

_"I know and I trust you to guide my way."_

_"Good, now go check on the pretty captain."_

_"He's HANDSOME!"_

* * *

Saya stood nervously in front of Ukitake's door; holding his breakfast tray in her hands. She shifted her weight uneasily from foot to foot trying to gain the courage to knock and enter. Sitting with him made her so happy; she had sat beside his bed for hours after he had fallen asleep just watching him. He had looked so peaceful and the way the moonlight had shone on his white hair created an eerie yet beautiful glow around him as he slept. Saya thought back on how she had watched his chest rise and fall with each breath; occasionally, his breaths would hitch only to be followed by a few short coughs, but nothing bad enough to wake him from his slumber.

But here she was now; staring at his door and feeling like an idiot. She didn't understand why she was feeling so anxious about knocking and going into his room. If she was feeling anything, it was that she wanted to spend even more time with him… though preferably they both would be awake during that time.

Saya sighed, Y_ou're being ridiculous_. She thought to herself. _Just knock already._

As expected she heard a warm voice from the other side, "Come in."

Saya opened the door to let herself in and then turned back around to close the door behind her.

"I was wondering how long you were going to stand outside, Kyouraku-san." Ukitake teased.

Saya was glad her back was to Ukitake because she felt her face flush within an instant. "Oh, I uh… Sorry. I wasn't sure if you'd be up yet or not!" Saya said as she turned around and with an embarrassed smile.

"Oh?" Ukitake said with a raised eyebrow.

Saya slumped over slightly knowing he didn't believe her, "No. I just… Well you see… I can't really explain." Saya looked at Ukitake who, at this point, had raised both brows in an amused sort of look. "I was nervous." Saya finally muttered out.

She heard a little chuckle from the bed and looked up. It looked like Ukitake had turned a bit pink himself. "It's alright, Kyouraku-san. I think I may be a little nervous myself."

Saya started to walk towards the chair by the bed. "Why would you be nervous, Ukitake-san?" She questioned.

Juushiro gave her a smile that made her knees go weak. "Who knows?" He said playfully.

"Hhmmm... you seem to be feeling better today, Ukitake-san." Saya said, deciding to ignore the fact that he hadn't really answered her question.

"Yes, I'm feeling much better. Thank you for keeping me company last night, Kyouraku-san." He said gently.

Saya fixed her gaze on her hands. "Of course, I was happy to stay with Ukitake-san while he felt ill." She said quietly.

Juushiro just looked at the girl a little bemused. _She seems rather inexperienced. Shunsui told me that she had many suitors with wishes of courting her; but that she had never really paid much attention to any of them. How very unlike her brother she is in this area._

"You know, Ukitake-san, I know a couple of people who would be perfect together." Saya said suddenly.

"Oh?" Ukitake said. _Maybe she's not so unlike her brother after all? She's being rather forward right now. How "Shunsui" of her._

"Yes! One is a very talented male shinigami who you're quite familiar with and the other is working her way up!" Saya said excitedly.

"OH?" Juushiro said with a little more enthusiasm. _She's making this so obvious, but I'll play along._ "Who are these two that you speak of?"

"Shiba-dono and Miyako-san!" Saya said with a bright smile. _He'll be happy to know that two of his subordinates have crushes on each other!_

"Oh." Juushiro said flatly and with a slight frown. _Huh, didn't see that one coming._

"It's true! They both like each other but neither will admit it to the other! Can you believe how silly that is?"

"Yes actually, I can."

"So anyway," Saya said not really paying attention to his answer, "I'm going to let Shiba-dono know that Miyako-san likes him too and then he'll ask her out to dinner! Then they'll fall in love! Then they'll get married and then they'll make little spiky-haired babies!" Saya exclaimed excitedly, her pitch rising to a higher frequency with each "then" statement she made.

Ukitake just looked at her somewhat blankly before a small smile broke across his face. He sank back against his pillow and closed his eyes and thought about his two squad members. "Kaien and Miyako you say? That should be interesting. She's a very sweet girl and pretty too; it's easy to see why Kaien would like her."

Saya chose that moment to clear her throat and that made Ukitake open his eyes and look at her face; she was wearing a slight scowl after his statement. "Yes well, anyway…" Saya said while trying to regain her composure, "I'm going to get Kaien to ask her out. Actually, I should probably be heading that direction now. Enjoy the rest of your breakfast, Ukitake-san. I'll see you around dinner. I'm glad you're feeling better today."

"Work hard, Kyouraku-san." Ukitake said as he watched Saya wave goodbye and walk out of the door.

_"Master cannot fool us; you're rather enjoying the company of your best friend's younger sister."_ Two voices said to him simultaneously.

_"You're right. I am."_ Ukitake agreed with his zanpakuto and his smile grew a little wider.

Juushiro finished his breakfast and snuggled into the sheets. Thoughts of blue eyes and blonde hair filled his mind as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Saya walked hurriedly to the thirteenth division. After spending so much time with Shiba-dono the day before, tracking his reitsu was a lot easier for her and she followed it to her destination without getting lost.

"Hey there, Kyouraku!" Kaien yelled out when he saw her approaching.

"Good morning, Shiba-dono." Saya said. Even if Kaien didn't use them, Saya wasn't comfortable leaving off honorifics just yet.

"So are you ready for some more training?"

"Yes!"

"Okay, but first I want you to get out of those clothes."

**SMACK!** A bright red handprint had been left on Kaien's left cheek.

"What the hell was that about, Kyouraku?! What do you think you're doing?" He yelled.

"You pervert! How dare you! I can't believe you would tell me to get naked for "training!" Who do you think YOU are? I don't care if you're from a noble clan; you can't just demand that a lady take off her clothes!" Saya yelled back, getting in his face.

"I wasn't telling you to get naked! I wanted you to put on one of my old uniforms to train in today! You can't train to be a shinigami in a kimono dress, you idiot!"

Saya backed away and turned bright red out of embarrassment. She had assumed that Kaien was just being a jerk. "Oh." She said quietly.

"'OH?' 'OH?' That's all you have to say after hitting me in the face and calling me a pervert?!"

"I'm sorry, Shiba-dono. I should have known you wouldn't try to take advantage of me." She said as she lowered her gaze to the ground.

Kaien saw that she felt bad and decided to calm down a little bit. "Eh, whatever. Just go get changed already and be grateful I'm still teaching you today."

"Yes, of course; thank you, Shiba-dono."

A few minutes later Saya had emerged from a private room in the office wearing black hakama and a matching top. It was a little big because it had been Kaien's but it would work for the time being. She felt like she wanted to rip the arms off of it though, but decided that would be inappropriate since it wasn't her uniform to begin with.

"Alright, Kyouraku, let's practice what I taught you yesterday and then we'll move on to some one-step sparring moves."

Saya worked hard to concentrate on her technique as she practiced the self-defense moves Kaien had taught her the day before. After lunch, he taught her the one-steps. She lost count of how many times she would block his punch while simultaneously attacking him. He made her do it over and over until he was happy with her technique and speed. For a "treat," as he called it, they did a free-fighting exercise. Not enough contact to hurt each other, but Saya ended up on her backside quite a bit while Kaien hadn't even received a single hit from her. Before Saya realized how much time had gone by, early evening had already settled in on them.

"That's enough for today, Kyouraku. Have some water to drink before you head off." Kaien said as he handed her a cup.

"Thank you." Saya said and then greedily drank the water. "You know, Miyako-san has a crush on you too."

Kaien stiffened a little bit. "Oh really? She said that?"

"Yeah, she also told me that she didn't want you to know."

"Why wouldn't she want me to know? How I am supposed to ask her out if I don't know that she likes me?"

"Uh… you said the same thing. You didn't want me to tell her that you fancied her."

"That's different." Kaien argued.

"How so?"

"I don't know, but it is."

"Fine, whatever… but you are going to ask her out, right?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"You're kidding, right? There shouldn't be any guesswork involved. You know that she likes you now, so go invite her to dinner or something!"

"You're one to talk, Kyouraku. You like Captain Ukitake but you haven't said anything to him!"

Saya turned red when he said that. _Is this common knowledge?_

_"Probably."_ A familiar voice said to her.

_"Shut-up!"_

"Don't look so embarrassed, Kyouraku. Besides, I'm pretty sure the captain likes you too. He brought you flowers, didn't he? I don't think he's ever done that before with anyone else."

"Oh… I see." Saya said quietly even though she wanted to scream with excitement. "Well, we're not talking about _me_, we're talking about _you_. And _you_ should definitely ask out Miyako-san."

"Alright. Jeez, between you and Matsumoto no one will be staying single for long. She loves playing matchmaker. Anyway, get out of here and head home for dinner."

"What about your uniform?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, just keep it. Wear it when you come for your training."

"Should I really be wearing this? I'm not a shinigami yet."

"It won't matter, but if it makes you feel better, change back into your clothes before you head out."

"Alright, I will. Thanks again Shiba-dono.

"Eh."

* * *

Saya walked back to the manor smiling to herself. She had seen Kaien talking to Miyako while walking out of the thirteenth division. Keeping her fingers crossed for Kaien, she hoped that Miyako had said "yes" to whatever kind of invitation he had given to her. But then Saya's thoughts slip back to what Shiba-dono had said about Ukitake liking her and her smile would grow even bigger.

"Has Ukitake-san been served dinner yet?" Saya asked Shin as he opened the door to let her in.

"No, Saya-sama. The kitchen is preparing it now. Do you plan on taking him his meal?"

"Hhmmm…" Saya said as she looked down at herself. She knew she had to have looked somewhat disheveled after training with Kaien; and she was sure that she needed a bath. "No, please take it to him whenever it is ready. I'll have my meal in the dining room, but please inform Ukitake-san that I will visit him after I've finished eating. Excuse me while I go freshen up."

"Yes, Saya-sama." Shin said with a bow as Saya walked passed him.

_"Is Saya-sama making herself look presentable for the pretty Taicho?"_ Her zanpakuto teased.

_"Well, I can't let the HANDSOME taicho smell me like this!"_ Saya said back.

* * *

A very clean Saya made her way to the library before heading to her ultimate destination: Juushiro's room. She had just eaten a very delicious meal and was feeling rather satisfied.

_"What does Saya-sama have in mind for the pretty taicho?"_

_"Must you always refer to him as pretty?"_ She asked with a rather defeated tone.

_"Yes."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because I know you don't like it."_ He answered. Saya could see the playful smile plastered on his face.

_"Are you ever going to refer to him as…"_

_"Nope."_ He interrupted her before she could finish.

_"Fine, whatever."_

_"So what does Saya-sama have planned?"_

_"I thought that I would find something that he could entertain himself with since he's stuck in bed right now. Shunsui has plenty of books so I'm sure Ukitake-san would like to read one. Perhaps a book of poems or something?"_

_"Ah, poems? How romantic of you, Saya-sama."_ The zanpakuto said rather sarcastically.

_"They don't have to be romantic. I just thought that he might like something to read and everyone likes poetry, don't they? Ah, here we are… this looks good."_ Saya said while choosing a book from a shelf. With that she walked out of the library and towards Ukitake.

_"What is it?"_

_"I don't know. I haven't read it or anything, but the cover sure is pretty."_

_"Hasn't Saya-sama ever heard the phrase, 'You can't judge a book by its cover?' It might not be a very interesting read at all. Besides, Saya-sama should keep that phrase in mind throughout her daily life."_

_"I don't think I have heard that phrase before and yeah, I'll keep it mind."_ Saya said flatly while rolling her eyes. She didn't really understand what he was trying to tell her, but she had just reached Juushiro's door and knocked.

"Come in." A kind voice on the other side called out.

"Good evening, Ukitake-san. How are you feeling?" Saya asked as she entered the room and made her way to Juushiro's bedside.

"Very well, thanks. I should be able to get out of bed by tomorrow."

Saya smiled. "That's good news, Ukitake-san. I'm glad that you're recovering."

"How did training go for you today? Kaien wasn't too hard on you, I hope."

Saya laughed a little. "No, not too hard." She said while thinking about their free-sparring exercise; and how utterly horrible she was at it. "I saw him speaking with Miyako-san when I was leaving the division."

"Did you now? Perhaps tomorrow he'll be telling us all about asking her out?"

"I hope so."

"Hhmmm." Ukitake said. An awkward silence filled the room for a moment before Saya decided to break it.

"Um, Ukitake-san, I wasn't sure what you would like, so I brought a book for some entertainment."

"How thoughtful of you, Kyouraku-san. Thank you so much. What is the book?"

Saya hadn't even looked at the title yet; she wasn't lying when she said that she had simply picked the book based on the cover alone. "The title is… 'Poems, odes, sonnets and verse.' Apparently all the authors are anonymous." Saya said looking at the cover. "That's a rather vague title."

"Yes it is. You didn't look at it before you brought it in?"

"No, I just liked the cover."

"One should never judge a book by its cover, Kyouraku-san."

Saya smirked slightly, "So I've heard."

"Well, why don't you flip it open and read one? That is, if you don't mind?"

"No, Ukitake-san. I'd love to." Saya started flipping through pages until she saw a title that caught her eye. "This one looks interesting: The Rolling Sea of Wind and Thunder. Shall I read it?"

Ukitake nodded for Saya to continue and she began to recite the poem.

"I step out from the bamboo grove and onto the sand,

I look out to the ocean as the wind whips through my hair,

My eyes look up to meet the grey sky that's covering the land,

But I won't move, no I won't budge for my lover said, 'Meet me there.'

"The storm clouds gather in strength to produce a fierce sight,

The wind becomes rough and aggressive as it taunts me to leave,

But I made a promise to my one true love that I'd meet him here tonight,

So I won't move, no I won't budge even with the storm that brews here this eve.

"The waves are vicious as they crash upon the shore,

The tide edges closer in an attempt to force me to depart,

I hear the thunder crash overhead and it shakes me to my core,

But I won't move, no I won't budge because it's Him that holds my heart.

"The rain begins to fall on me and stings as it hits my face,

The lightening strikes so close which causes me to jump and scare,

It seems the elements don't want me around, waiting for my lover in this place,

No matter, for I won't move, no I won't budge for I told him that 'I'll be waiting there.'

"I close my eyes against the wind that blows through my soul,

The thunder rolls across the sky with lightening acting as its friend,

The storm wants me to leave as it has made a clear statement of its goal,

So I shout out in defiance 'I won't move, no I won't budge I'll stay here until the end!

"The storm, not liking what I said, forms a new plan to take me down,

The thunder roars, the lightening strikes, the wind blows through the sky,

The waves catch me unawares and are successful at bringing me to the ground,

'I won't move, no I won't budge! Did you not hear me before?' I yelled as I began to cry.

Where is my lover? Did he forget what he said?

I'm fighting the storm because he said it was me he wanted to see,

I feel all alone for he's not here, if he forgot about me then I might as well be dead,

'I won't move, no I won't budge, but if you wish to kill me might storm, make it quick!' I began to plea.

But then I feel his arms around me and I hold to him tight,

He picks me up from the ground and pulls me into a loving hug,

The storm is unable to break his sweet embrace, even with all of its heavenly might,

'Thank you for not moving, not even a budge. For what would I have done if I hadn't seen the one I love?'"

Saya finished reading and glanced up at Juushiro who had a look in his eye that Saya was unable to read. He was staring at her and it seemed as though he was looking straight through to her core. The only thing that Saya could do was return his gaze. Juushiro sat up and leaned toward the blue-eyed beauty. Saya just sat there, unable to move as he gingerly swept her bangs out of her face and tucked them behind her ear. He continued to move his hand lower, allowing her silky hair to run through his fingers, finally resting his hand on the side of her neck while his thumb tenderly traced her jawline as his gaze was locked on her supple lips.

"Ukitake-san?" Saya whispered. Her cheeks were flushed and she was barely breathing. _What is he going to do? What is this feeling I have? My stomach is doing flips, my palms are sweaty and I can barely think straight. I think I want him to..._

Juushiros eyes went up to meet hers then he withdrew his hand and lay back down against his pillows. "Forgive me, Kyouraku-san. Thank you for reading to me, but I think that we both should retire for the night."

Saya didn't know what to think or say, _I would have let him_… _I wanted him to..._

"Of course, Ukitake-san. Goodnight." She said somewhat flatly. She left the book at Juushiro's bedside and went back to her own room. With rather confused thoughts running through her head, Saya lay down in her bed and attempted to force herself to sleep. All efforts were in vain as he did nothing but think about how good Juushiro's gentle touch had felt on her skin.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thank you so much to Sareenah, Kairi-senpai, GermanBubbles, SheDevil85, Sorry Charlie, White Alchemist Taya, Rukia23, and Fefisgbf13 for reviewing! I really appreciate all the kind things you had to say about my story! It always makes me feel so happy! Also another SUPER THANKS to Sareenah who drew me a picture of Saya! So three cheers for her for drawing me a picture! HIP HIP HOORAY! HIP HIP HOORAY! HIP HIP HOORAY!

So I had a bit of writer's block with this chapter, but I think I'm happy with how it turned out. Please don't hate me because I didn't have Ukitake and Saya kiss (yet)! It's coming, I promise! But I hope you enjoyed this chapter anyway!

Now please go and review! Thank you bunches!


	18. Chapter 18: Nightmare

Disclaimer: How lovely it would be to own Bleach and everything that it's associated with. Tite Kubo must tell me what that's like sometime.

* * *

Saya was running through the streets of Rukongai as fast as her feet could take her. She was barely able to make out the blurs that were people and buildings in her visual field. All she knew was that she had to run; run away from her assailant. She hadn't worn a kimono that was conducive to running away from an attacker. But why on earth would she think that she would need to run for her life? Especially not run from _him._ Of all the people in the world, _he_ should be the one saving her from danger; instead he was the current embodiment of that very term.

_This must have been part of his plan! Why else would he have met me so far out in Rukongai? I can't believe how large this damned place is! I don't even know what district I'm in now… which one did I start running from? The seventy-fifth? Oh please help me get there! Please let me reach the walls of the Sereitei! I can get the help I need there, I know it!_

She started to notice that the houses and businesses around her were starting to look nicer and more high-class, especially when compared to the dirty and unkempt pub she had just run from.

_How could he want to do this? How was I so foolish not to see it before? How could he be doing this to me right now!?_

Saya looked ahead of her and was able to clearly see her destination. Although it made her plight longer, she had mainly stayed in alleyways and on the streets trying to lose her aggressor; she would only go up on the rooftops when it was absolutely necessary to figure out where she was and in what direction she needed to be heading. However, _he_ was never that far behind her and she always saw _him_ when she looked back.

_I can see it! I can see the wall of the Sereitei! I'm almost there!_

Saya was breathing heavy and her legs were trembling from all the shunpo and quick footwork she performed to get her far from her attacker. She turned to look behind her to see if _he_ was still there.

_I don't see him! Did I manage to lose him after all?_

The small amount of relief that thought brought her was immediately dispelled when she turned to see _him_ in front of her; _his_ sword about to pierce her chest. Saya screamed in shock and fright.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Saya sat up bolt right in her bed. Not fully aware of where she was or what was happening she scrambled from out beneath the covers and roughly fell to the floor. Her breathing was fast and panicked, and she could feel her body covered in sweat. Quickly finding her legs she ran to the door, throwing it open in an attempt to escape from the nightmare that was still so vivid in her mind. But instead of finding freedom she ran into a hard chest and was knocked back.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Saya screamed again, "PLEASE DON'T!"

The figure moved forward into her room, "Imo-chan, are you alright? Please calm down. I'm not going to hurt you."

Saya's breath hitched in her throat when she heard it was her brother. Her eyes began to swell with tears as she realized she was safe. "ANIKI!" Saya yelled and she wrapped her arms around his waist and clung onto him tightly. She had never wanted her brother around her as much as she did now and was pretty sure she wasn't going to let go of him anytime soon. When she felt her brother's arms wrap around her shoulders and pull her close to his body, Saya was no longer able to hold in her tears. She began to sob loudly and buried her head in his kimono.

At this point several servants had woken up as well and had come to Saya's room to see what all the commotion was about. Ukitake had wakened too and had been standing behind Shunsui the entire time, watching as Saya clung to her brother as if her life depended on it.

Shunsui turned his head to the servants standing behind him in the hallway. "You may return to bed. Everything is under control." Slowly his servants began to walk back to their own quarters while whispering about what could have happened that would make Saya scream as if she were being murdered. The only one that didn't leave was Juushiro.

Shunsui stroked Saya's hair while saying things like, "Ssh Saya-chan, you're fine now, I'm here," and "I won't let anyone hurt you. You're okay."

But Saya didn't feel okay. She felt frightened. She knew that her dream wasn't just a nightmare; it had happened. It was the night she had been attacked.

All Shunsui could do was hold his sister and try to calm her down as she trembled against him. Her crying was too intense for her to try and talk to him about what had happened. He also realized that she probably wasn't going to let of him anytime soon. Picking her up bridal style, he took his sister and walked over to her bed. He tried to put her down, but she clung on to him tighter and her sobbing grew even more severe with this act. Shunsui maneuvered himself so that he was sitting in Saya's bed, leaning up against the headboard for support while his sister curled up in his lap, still crying. He held her until she had cried herself back to sleep.

Looking up at Juushiro, who had been sitting in a chair across the room, he gave his friend a concerned look. "What do you think it was?"

"It seems like she had a rather vivid nightmare, Shunsui."

"Hhhmmm."

"No, perhaps it wasn't as simple as that. She's mentioned that she has been dreaming about her past. Perhaps this is a part of her past that is rather… unpleasant." Juushiro said with his eyes fixed on Saya. _What was it that she remembered?_

Shunsui just nodded and then looked back down at his sister's tear-stained face. _What was it that you dreamt about, Saya-chan?_

* * *

Saya woke up the next morning with her brother's snores in her ear. She hadn't realized that she never let him go, even in her sleep she had clutched to him tightly. She looked up at him and studied his position. Shunsui was leaning against the headboard and his head hung down so that his chin touched his chest. It didn't look like it could have been a very peaceful position to stay in all night and Saya was sure that he would have a stiff neck when he awoke.

"Aniki?" Saya whispered.

"Hmpf." Was all that was said back before Shunsui started snoring softly once again.

"Shunsui-nii?" Saya said a little louder. This time she tried to shake him slightly.

"Hhhmmmmpf! I don't want to wake up Nanao-chan." Shunsui complained in his sleep.

Saya laughed a little bit. "Ise-san! Put on some clothes!" She said loudly into her brother's ear. This seemed to have the desired effect that Saya was hoping for.

Shunsui's eyes shot open as he began to look around for his lovely Nanao-chan. But once he heard Saya's laughter he gently shoved her off of him and then hit her with a pillow. "That wasn't very nice Imouto. I thought that my lovely Nanao-chan had come to seduce me! What a rotten trick to play on your doting brother?"

"Forgive me, Shunsui-nii, but I couldn't help myself. You should have seen your face though! It was such an excited kind of look. You know, the kind that small children have on their faces when they're receiving their favorite kind of candy? It was priceless!"

Just then a voice was heard behind Saya, "I see you two are up." Juushiro said with his oh-so-lovely smile.

Saya looked to see Ukitake walking through the door. "Good morning, Ukitake-san." She gave him a small smile and then turned her gaze to her bedsheets.

To anyone else this would have seemed like a normal greeting, but Shunsui detected something off in her behavior towards Juushiro. She seemed almost uncomfortable now that he had walked in. Shunsui then shifted his gaze towards his old friend. He noticed that Juushiro wore a semi-uncomfortable expression as well. Shunsui quickly darted his eyes back and forth between the two trying to gather more clues as to what could have created this slight tension he felt between them, but was unsuccessful at gathering any further information. _Hmm, this is odd. I thought that they both fancied each other? Could I have been wrong? No, and certainly not when it came to Saya's feelings. Guess I'll have to do a little detective work and figure out what's going on. In the mean time, Saya's nightmare needs to be discussed. Hopefully she'll be up for it._

Shunsui just smiled at his little sister while he rubbed and stretched his sore neck. "Do you want to talk about it?" He said rather seriously.

Saya looked up at her brother with a semi-frightened look. She started to relive her dream in her head and didn't like it any better now even though she was awake. Looking down at her hands, she heard her voice shake as she retold the dream she had to her brother. Saya recounted what there was of her memory, running for her life; the feelings of fright coursing through her; and the blade that was about to pierce her chest. After Saya finished, she was still unable to meet her brother's gaze.

Shunsui looked at his sister with concern. He knew as well as Saya that she had dreamt about the night she had been attacked. "Did you see a face, Saya-chan?"

"No, Aniki. I just remember feeling a deep sense of betrayal. Like the person who was pursuing me was someone I trusted." Saya answered in a small voice. Then a detail occurred to her that she had left out before, "Aniki, I wasn't just running; I was flash stepping."

Shunsui didn't respond to her statement; he just continued to look concerned and his frown deepened slightly. The only people who could perform shunpo were shinigami. It wasn't unheard of that untrained persons with high spiritual pressure could use shunpo; but they were a rarity. It seemed as though someone who is or was a member of the protection squads attacked Saya.

"Aniki, if it's alright with you, I'd like to get ready and go train with Kaien a little more. I don't feel like sitting around all day trying to analyze my dream. Training will help me get my mind off of things for a while. Please?"

Shunsui looked up at his sister. He saw sadness and confusion in her eyes; but he saw determination as well. "If that is going to make my Imo-chan happy, then yes. By all means, go and train with Kaien."

"Thank you, Aniki."

"Kyouraku-san," Ukitake spoke up, "If you don't mind, I'll walk you back to my headquarters. I'm feeling better and need to head back myself; we might as well go together."

Saya shifted slightly and blushed. "Hai, Ukitake-san; that'd be fine."

* * *

Shunsui and Ukitake were waiting for Saya outside of the front door. Shunsui was finishing telling Juushiro about his last couple of days doing paperwork with Nanao. "I mean, she practically tied me to the chair, Juushiro! Then she said that she would 'accidentally on purpose' forget to order next month's sake supply if I didn't finish all of the work! I don't think I've worked that fast on papers since academy."

"You have to give her credit, Shunsui. She knows how to get you to do what she wants."

"You've got that right." Shunsui said with a slight chuckle as he looked towards the door. "Saya seems to be taking her time, ne?" He asked, ever so innocently.

"Hmm? Oh, well… I haven't noticed." Juushiro said quickly.

"You haven't noticed? Were you not looking towards the door every ten or so seconds while I was telling my story?"

"Did I?"

"Yes, you did." Shunsui smirked at his friend.

"Oh…"

Shunsui sighed. "So are you going to tell me what happened or am I going to have to drag it out of you?"

"What do you mean, Shunsui?"

"You and Saya. You two are acting odd today."

Juushiro just looked at his friend with amusement. "It never ceases to amaze me how easily you're able to read others, Shunsui."

"Good. So tell me what happened."

"… I almost kissed your sister, Shunsui."

"Almost, you say?"

"Hai, almost, as in 'did not.'"

"I see. So the problem is that nothing happened."

Juushiro was a little taken aback by this statement. "Excuse me?"

"She's upset because you didn't kiss her."

Juushiro looked thoughtfully at his friend. "You seem okay with your best friend _almost _kissing your sister. What if I had actually gone through with it?"

"Even better."

Now Juushiro just looked slightly stunned. "I'm sorry, did I hear you correctly? I have younger sisters too, Shunsui. I don't ever remember really wanting any of them to kiss a boy."

"I didn't know you still considered yourself a boy, Juushiro. Has taking a liking to Saya made you feel younger?" Shunsui teased.

"You know what I mean." Juushiro said with a smile.

"Yes I know what you mean. Here's the thing; I know that you're a good guy. I mean, after all, you are my best friend. I would trust you with Saya more than anyone else. If you would like to pursue her, then do so. If not, just don't lead her along; then my protective big brother ways might come out." Shunsui said with a wink.

"I'll keep it in mind." Then Juushiro thought for a moment and turned a little more serious, "Shunsui, are you sure you wouldn't mind if I was interested in Saya?"

"If?"

"Shunsui, just answer the question."

With a sincere smile and slight sparkle in his eye, Shunsui reassured Juushiro that he truly was okay with the idea of his little sister being courted by his best friend. A few moments later Saya stepped outside and announced she was ready to go.

* * *

Juushiro couldn't help but glance at Saya out of the corner of his eye as they were walking back to the thirteenth division. Her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail that bounced playfully behind her as she walked; her bangs framed her face in a way that her eyes were slightly hidden from his viewt. He couldn't help but notice the creamy look of the skin on her neck and he though about how his own fingertips had felt its smoothness just hours ago. He also took note that Saya was much quieter during their walk than she normally would have been. He knew Shunsui was right about what he said. Juushiro was feeling much more confident now about the whole situation. He wasn't upset that he had stopped himself; rushing things like this was so unlike him, and he liked to take his time to get to know someone. The kiss would come when it would come and he was just fine with that. However, he knew that he needed to say something to Saya.

He sighed a little while figuring out what it was that he wanted to say. "Kyouraku-san? About last night, after you had finished reading the poem... I wanted to apologize."

"Apologize, Ukitake-san?" Saya looked up at the older man. Juushiro could see that her eyes were filled with confusion.

"Yes, I…" But he was cut off by Saya again.

"Please don't apologize. Ukitake-san didn't do anything wrong. Ukitake-san didn't do… anything." Saya said, her voice dropping to a somewhat disappointed tone with the final word as her gaze fell back to the ground beneath her feet. "So you don't have anything to apologize for."

Ukitake just looked at Saya and with a raised eyebrow. _How does Shunsui know women so well? Or perhaps, he just knows his sister._ "Either way, Kyouraku-san, I made you feel uncomfortable. That's the last thing I would want to do. So please, accept my apology."

Saya looked back up at him with a smile on her face. _He didn't apologize for almost kissing me. I'm glad; I would have taken that to mean that he didn't want to. Instead, he said that he was sorry for making things uncomfortable. That's different, isn't it? It doesn't mean that he almost made a mistake! _ "Apology accepted then, Ukitake-san. Thank you."

Juushiro noticed an immediate change in her overall demeanor. She seemed happier now and not so tense around him. This slight change in her attitude made Ukitake feel better as well.

"What did you think of the poem you read last night, Kyouraku-san?"

"Hm? Oh, I thought it was beautiful."

"Had you heard it before?"

"No Ukitake-san, have you?"

Juushiro shook his head. "No, but I did find it quite fascinating. Even the structure was interesting. The lines grew in length from the first to the fourth in each new verse."

"Huh, I hadn't even noticed until you mentioned it just now. How did you know that anyway? I thought you weren't able to see what I was reading?"

"I reread it a few times after you had gone to bed. Did you have a favorite part, Kyouraku-san?"

"Um, to be honest, I was so happy when her lover came to her in the end. She was so scared of the storm, yet braved it for him. It was romantic." Saya blushed slightly thinking that she had sounded silly. "What about you, Ukitake-san? What was your favorite part?"

"I like the fact that she stayed there for him and wasn't frightened by the storm. I have to say, I found it interesting that you picked that poem."

"Oh? Why is that?"

Ukitake smiled, "The elements of my zanpakuto are lighting and water."

Saya looked up at Juushiro and blushed. "I didn't know, Ukitake-san." She said quietly. It was then that she noticed they had arrived at his division. She was glad for the distraction, as she was feeling those butterflies in her stomach again.

"Hey there taicho! Kyouraku!" Kaien waved as Juushiro and Saya walked through the entrance.

"Good morning, Kaien." Ukitake said with a smile.

"Hello, Shiba-dono." Saya said with a smirk.

Kaien saw the mischievous look on her face and became slightly worried. "What is with that look, Kyouraku?"

"Oh nothing… I was just wondering how last night was?" Saya asked with her smile growing wider.

"Last night?" Kaien asked, clearly clueless as to what Saya was trying to find out.

"Yes. So… how did things gooooooo?" Saya said in a sing-song sort of voice.

"Kyouraku?"

"Yeeeeeeeeees?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kaien asked with an annoyed look on his face.

Saya's face fell as her body slumped forward in disappointment. "I saw you talking to Miyako-san on my way out of the division! I wanted to know what she said."

"What she said about what?"

"Are you trying to get on my nerves by playing dumb?" Saya asked a little out of character. It wasn't often she lost her patience and would speak like that to a superior. "I want to know if she said yes when you asked her out!"

"Uh, well… no." Kaien said while scratching the back of his head.

"YES!" Saya said while pumping her fist in the air until she actually processed what Kaien had said, "Wait. No? She said NO!?" Saya was so sure that Miyako liked Shiba-dono as much as he liked her. "How could she say no?! I'll get to the bottom of this!" Saya exclaimed as she attempted to walk away, more like stomp away, to find Miyako. For some reason, Saya felt personally offended at Miyako's rejecting Kaien.

"Wait Kyouraku, it's not like that. Well you see, I uh… I didn't really ask her."

Saya blinked a few times taking in what Kaien had just said. "What? But I saw you talking to her while I was leaving and…"

"Shut-up Kyouraku! I didn't ask her out okay!?"

"Huh, why not?" Saya asked clearly confused. She knew that Kaien liked Miyako.

"BecauseIgotnervousandIchickenedout." He mumbled quickly.

"I'm sorry? I didn't quite catch that."

"Because I got nervous and I chickened out."

"Oh, I see." Saya said as a smile spread across her face. "Don't worry, Shiba-dono, I'm sure it happens to everyone." She noticed Juushiro shift a little uncomfortably next to her. "Well, you'll just have to try again."

"No."

"What?! Why not?!"

"Because… I… look, just drop it. She was probably only telling you that she liked me to be nice. So whatever, it's fine. I don't even care."

Saya could clearly see that he **did** care. She glared at him for a moment until a thought popped into her head. _I could get Matsumoto to help me! This sort of thing should be right up her alley. Besides, she threatened to set me and Ukitake-san up; this might distract her from me and put the focus on Kaien!_

_"Saya-sama is up to no good!" _Saya's purple-eyed friend teased.

_"I'm up to a lot of good! I'll be bringing two people together and creating more love and happiness in the world." _Saya said while trying to defend herself, even if what she said was a little cheesy.

_"You're doing it because it was your idea in the first place to play matchmaker. You're doing this for your own entertainment, ne?" _Her zanpakuto asked.

_"Well… that's only half true. I want Kaien to be happy. It just so happens that I might have some fun in the process."_ Saya could see her friend shaking his head and smiling. He was clearly amused as well.

A smirk appeared on Saya's face which Kaien would soon learn to become slightly wary of. It usually meant she was up to no good.

"What are you thinking? You better not be plotting something."

"Me? Never."

Kaien glared at Saya not quite trusting what she said, "Whatever, go take off… er… go get changed."

"Yes, sir!" She said while she skipped towards the offices.

Juushiro's own smirk appeared on his face. He had clearly seen her mischevious look as well and was wondering what she had in mind. Having Shunsui as a brother could only have brought out amusing qualities in her. He did have a way getting into the trouble while still coming out of it relatively unscathed.

"You two have become friendly, Kaien." Juushiro stated it in a way that it came out more of a question than a statement.

"Uh, yes sir, I guess so? At first I thought that she was probably uptight like Byakuya. I mean, all I ever heard about her that she had impeccable manners and this and that. But when she gets comfortable around you, she kind of lets her true self shine through a little more. She's rather..."

"Pleasant to be around?" Juushiro said finishing his statement.

"Yeah, taicho… that's a good way to put it." The lieutenant said as he smiled at his captain.

"Well anyway, I had better get inside and start on the paperwork that I wasn't able to do over these last few days."

"We'll be by the lake. Come out and watch when you want to take a break. She's a rather fast learner."

* * *

Saya and Kaien had spent the entire morning practicing the skills he had taught her over the last couple of days. Kaien was impressed by how well Saya had retained everything and by how easily she was able to pick up on the new skills he was teaching her. He was confident that she would qualify for the advanced class with her abilities as they were now. Some might argue that Saya's training would give her an unfair advantage, but Kaien also knew that many students who wished to enter the academy were trained in various forms of hand to hand combat and kendo before beginning school. In fact, he had received private lessons from his family members for as far back as he could remember. He always felt like this was the real reason that he had graduated in only two years; not necessarily that he had greater talent than others.

"That's enough for now, Saya-san." Kaien said as he had blocked her punch once again, "Let's have lunch."

"Okay." Saya responded noticing he was using her first name again, but it didn't bother her as much as it had before. _I guess he has a right to refer to me in the familiar now, he is training me after all._

"Looks like Ukitake-taicho has brought us some lunch." Kaien said while waving to his captain.

Saya turned to look at the man coming towards them. His white hair shined brightly in the sun that was overhead, and he looked so handsome in his captain's haori. A small smile crept on Saya's face while she gazed at him.

Kaien looked back towards Saya and noticed that she had been admiring the captain. A smirk appeared on his face, "Don't go giving me any crap for not saying anything to Miyako."

Saya looked back towards Kaien slightly confused. "What are you talking about, Shiba-dono?"

"You're all goo-goo eyed over Taicho, yet you haven't said anything."

Saya's looked towards the lake, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Kaien sniggered at her answer but decided to let it go.

Ukitake had brought out a delicious lunch that they all shared and enjoyed. Kaien noticed several glances from his taicho towards Saya and vice versa. Both obviously liked the other and he wondered if either was going to admit it. He also knew his captain well; and his captain tended to take things slowly. Now that he thought about it, he couldn't ever recall his captain taking a lover in the time that Kaien had been a member of squad thirteen. He knew that Ukitake had had girlfriends when he was younger, but even then it didn't seem like he had taken any of them too seriously. Kaien thought he knew the reason behind his captain's behavior though.

One night his captain had confessed that he always wanted a family, to be a father; but he didn't think that he would ever get married or have children. When Kaien had asked why, Ukitake had explained it was because of his illness. He didn't want any lover of his to suffer when it finally took his life and he couldn't bare the thought of passing this disease on to his children. He wasn't sure if it was genetic or not, but didn't feel like risking it. Unohana had even told him she wasn't sure if he could pass it down or not. Because of that, Ukitake had told Kaien that he'd "…rather be safe than sorry." To Kaien, it sounded like his captain had given up his dream of being a father and having children.

However, looking at the way his captain smiled at Saya made Kaien wonder if his captain would change his mind? He didn't have much time to ponder on it though, as two others joined their small gathering.

"Hey there, Ikkaku, Yumichika! Glad you could join us." Kaien said.

"Yeah, well, whatever. You said there'd be sake in it for me afterwards, so that's the only reason I'm here."

"Ikkaku, that doesn't sound like a very nice thing to say; we're here to help Kyouraku-sama get into the academy. Well, you're going to help train her, I just wanted to be around beauty again! Besides, don't try to act like you don't care, you were acting so excited about coming over here earlier."

Saya blushed slightly; Ikkaku scoffed; Kaien rolled his eys; and Juushiro chuckled.

"I'm sorry, did you say you were going to help me?" Saya asked, slightly intrigued.

"Yeah, Kaien here asked for help."

"You did, Shiba-dono?" Saya wasn't sure how to react. Was she burdening him?

"Hai, Saya-san. You see, Ikkaku is an excellent swordsman. If you want to develop good skills, it's better that you go against him than me." Kaien stated.

"Shiba-dono is not a good swordsman?" Saya asked.

"That's not it, Kyouraku-san," Ukitake said to Saya, "I think he's just stating that Ikkaku's skills are quite impressive, even though he is very talented with zanpakuto himself."

Saya nodded, "I see." Saya was starting to feel uneasy about training with swords. Her dream came rushing back to her mind and it sent a shiver down her spine. It didn't help any when she turned her attention back to Ikkaku, who had his sword out and pointed at her chest. Saya gasped slightly and froze. She eyed the sword warily as her breathing turned shallow and quick.

Ukitake saw her reaction and frowned. He knew that she was probably remembering her dream.

"Look here, Kyouraku, you can't be scared of my sword. If you're going to truly fight with everything you have, you can't be scared of getting cut." Ikkaku said.

Saya looked up to his face, "Yes, but Ikkaku-san, I'd rather not get cut."

"It might happen. Actually, take that back. It will happen."

"Yes, but I don't want…"

"Then don't become a shinigami, because you will get cut a lot. What do you expect if you join the protection squads? That you'll never have to fight? If you're afraid of your opponent's sword, then you're more likely to be injured or killed by it. So you need to abandon that fear now."

Saya was stunned, to say the least. She didn't know what to do or say, so she simply nodded.

"Don't worry, we won't be practicing with real swords anyway." He said as he threw her a wooden practice sword. "Now get up and let's get started."

Ikkaku's style of teaching was much different than Kaien's. While Kaien would take Saya through the motions and coach her every step of the way, Ikkaku simply attacked and let Saya make a mistake before he would fix it. It started off by him telling her to get in a defensive stance. Had she not gone to watch her brother's squad train, she wouldn't have even known what a defensive stance was. He immediately saw the weakness in her bearing, and knocked her down. After she got up, he told her what to fix. Same thing for the offensive fighting stance.

By the end of the day, Saya was feeling very sore and beaten. Ikkaku had hit her several times with the wooden sword on her arms, chest, and legs. She never got one hit in on him. She was dirty from falling to the ground so much and craved a warm relaxing stint in the tub. Even though she thought she had done a terrible job, she was surprised when Ikkaku had told her she "didn't do half bad," and that he'd see her the following day. Saya secretly hoped that she didn't have to start off her morning with Ikkaku.

* * *

Saya relished the hot bath that Tsukiko had drawn for her. She sighed as she sunk beneath the water, enjoying the feeling of being totally submerged in the large tub. When she came back up for air, she grabbed the pummus stone and started to attack the bottoms of her feet, which were already forming calluses. The coarseness of the stone felt good as she scrubbed her heels. Laying back in the tub once more, Saya closed her eyes as her thoughts led her to Ukitake. A sleepy smile graced her lips as she thought about his touch on her skin. Unknowingly, she brought her hand up to her neck and lightly touched the spot where he had rested his own hand. She was still feeling disappointed that he hadn't kissed her, but not discouraged that it wouldn't happen eventually.

Not long after, Saya's thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Who is it?"

"It Tsukiko, mi'lady. Are you ready to get out of the bath?"

Saya looked down at her pruned fingers and thought that it was probably for the best. "Yes, you may enter and help me."

Tsukiko came in to wrap Saya in a warm robe as she stepped out of the tub.

"Is mi'lady still planning on going to the tenth division tonight?"

"Yes, Tsukiko-chan. I have to ask someone for their help."

"Help with what mi'lady?"

Saya turned and smiled at the young girl. Tsukiko had become much more comfortable around her mistress ever since the incident in which she had mistakenly believed Saya had a man in her bed. She learned that Tsukiko was an incredibly curious person and would often ask for more detail than she should have for a maid-servant, but Saya didn't mind most of the time. She was glad the girl was finally acting like herself when in Saya's presence.

"It's a special mission. I'm trying to get Shiba-dono to go out with one of his subordinates; a very pretty lady named Miyako. I'm going to need Matsumoto-san's help with it. She has more experience in this area than I do."

"Why is Saya-sama so worried about getting Shiba-sama and Miyako-san together? Shouldn't she be concentrating on making Ukitake-taicho fall in love with her?"

Saya stiffened and then glared slightly at the young girl. This time she had gone a bit too far. Although Saya was aware of her feelings for the taicho, she didn't appreciate others talking about it so freely. Her pride didn't allow for it; especially not when it was going to be discussed among the household help.

But when she saw the worried look on Tsukiko's face Saya snapped out of her own snobby attitude. Her face, however, only became blank expression and didn't return to the cheerful look it held seconds prior.

"Forgive me, Saya-sama, it was not my place." Tsukiko said.

"No it wasn't, but for now it's fine, Tsukiko-chan." Saya said in a somewhat flat tone of voice.

Tsukiko looked at her mistress. Most of the time she was quite pleasant and cheerful to be around, but other times she could turn incredibly cold and Tsukiko was almost frightened in those moments. They would pass quickly and Saya-sama would return back to herself… but in those moments…

Meanwhile, Saya was trying to figure it out herself. Her parents had never taught her to look down on the staff. Although they were expected to know their role in the household, no one would get upset if they asked a question that wasn't "appropriate for their place." Shunsui never seemed to get upset, no matter how the help behaved.

_"Saya-sama seems upset."_

_"Zanpakuto seems to point out the obvious."_ She replied sarcastically.

_"Don't take your frustrations out on me, Saya-sama. You're unhappy with how easily you were offended that she asked about the pretty taicho. You didn't the way your reacted. I know your thoughts. 'Does she not know her place?' You don't like how you look down on others sometimes, right Saya-sama?"_

_"I don't understand it, I wasn't raised that way."_

_"You weren't raised in the Kyouraku household, Saya-sama, despite that they are your family now."_

_"So… what you're saying is…"_

_"It's a learned behavior, Saya-sama. Something that you picked up while you were growing up. Don't worry, in general you're very kind to your servants, but you also expected them to know their place in all situations."_

_"Their place?"_

_"Hai, Saya-sama."_

"There you are, Saya-sama. You are ready to head to the tenth division." Tsukiko said after she had tied a green ribbon in Saya's hair.

"Thank you, Tsukiko-chan. I have a favor to ask of you, if you don't mind?"

"Of course, Saya-sama."

"Please wash that uniform that I brought home. And could you alter it again? Similar to what you did with Shunsui's pair of hakama. Also, could you do something with the sleeves? I find them rather bothersome."

"Hai, Saya-sama."

"Thanks, Tsukiko, I trust only your skills as a seamstress."

Tsukiko blushed slightly, "Arigato, Saya-sama."

* * *

Shunsui had decided to walk with Saya to the tenth division. He knew anything that involved needing Matsumoto was going to be entertaining, and he wasn't going to miss out on that. Plus, the probability of drinking a few cups of sake was always high when visiting the tenth.

"What do you have planned, Saya-chan?" Shunsui asked.

"You'll see, Aniki." Saya said with a smirk. She raised her hand and knocked on the door of Matsumoto's private quarters within the division.

A surprised looking lieutenant answered the door.

"Kyouraku-taicho, Saya-san, what are you two doing here?"

A huge grin appeared on Saya's face, "Matsumoto-san, I need your help with something."

* * *

Okay! Here we go... thank you to Ukitake-chan, White Alchemist Taya, bleachfan1994, Bloody-Ribbon, German Bubbles, SheDevil85, Sorry Charlie, Fefisgbf13, Kairi-senpai, firewaterearthwind, and rukia23 for reviewing and commenting on my last chapter! I always appreciate it! I know this chapter took a little longer to get out than I normally take, but it's kind of a long one so I hope you can forgive me. Here's a SUPER thanks to firewaterearthwind who helped me break through a block and because of her help, I was able to finish the chapter! Here, have cookies!

I decided to give a special treat to those readers who take a few moments to review. Not only will I respond (like I always try to do) I will write you your very own haiku! woo hoo! So please, take a few moments to post a comment and/or review of my story! Much thanks!


	19. Chapter 19: Mission and Consequences

Disclaimer: Okay, I don't own Bleach.

A/N: I hope that everyone is happy with the situation I created for Saya and Matsumoto... I tried to make it long scenario but not too too long. I could have gone on forever, but had to stop myself and cut it down. I hope no one is disappointed! Please take time to review when you're done reading! Thanks... on with the story!

* * *

Matsumoto practically screamed with excitement after Saya had told that her that she wanted help setting up Kaien and Miyako. After throwing out some haphazard ideas and throwing back a few cups of sake, Matsumoto and Saya seemed happy with the plan they came up with. Shunsui enjoyed the idea as well, and even decided to help out where he could. Within a few days, Saya and Matsumoto were ready to carry out "Mission: First Date."

Phase One: The set-up

Kaien and Miyako were both going to be given letters with a white rose. The letter, of course, would specify the time and place of the rendezvous while the rose would serve as the way to identify each other as each other's "secret admirer." This, in and of itself, took some planning. Neither Saya nor Matsumoto wanted the letters to be traced back to them. So they decided that they needed to be creative in order to deliver the letters to the pair.

Saya was in charge of getting Kaien's letter delivered to him. She placed the letter and rose in a plain colored envelope and then she gave it to Tsukiko and told her it needed to be delivered to her brother in the eighth division. Tsukiko gave the envelope to another servant who then took it and delivered it to Shunsui. Shunsui emptied out the contents and then placed the letter and rose meant for Kaien in another plain envelope simply marked "Lieutenant, Division Thirteen," which he then gave to Nanao. Nanao she didn't need to take her time by delivering the package by hand and instead was told that it needed to go in the mail to be sent to thirteenth division. Shunsui trusted Nanao the most, knowing that she wouldn't ask questions or get curious about what might be inside the envelope. Good Nanao, Shunsui could always trust her to carry out a request without questioning him (at least not too much). Nanao delivered the envelope to the mail room and placed it in the bin marked "To Other Divisions." After that, the envelope made its way (via low ranked members) to the central mail office and was further sorted by members of the fourth division and then delivered from there. All of the mail for squad thirteen was taken to their division's mail room to be sorted out and delivered to the various members of the squad. The envelope lay in wait on Kaien's desk in less than 4 hours with a long trail of multiple handlers behind it.

Delivering Miyako the message was going to be a little more difficult. Saya argued that they couldn't use the same method because it might raise suspicion. She argued that two member receiving the same type of package from an anonymous sender would make inquiring minds want to find out where they had come from. Miyako would have to get it another way. Since she had already told Saya about her crush on Kaien, Matsumoto decided that she should be the one to ultimately get the note to Miyako. Shunsui argued that Saya and Matsumoto were just trying to make delivering secret messages more exciting and complicated than it needed to be, but at the same time, he didn't try to talk them out of their plan.

* * *

Matsumoto waited until she knew that most of the squad would be out on the training grounds. Smiling mischievously, Matsumoto steathfully made her way into the main offices. Ukitake wasn't there, as Shunsui had instructed him, so therefore he didn't "know" what was going to happen (of course he had been told in great detail) and Ukitake went along willingly with the plan. Matsumoto made her way over to the emergency alarm. Pulling this would cause the entire squad to have to evacuate to the training grounds. Once all squad members were accounted for, they would send in a small team to assess the danger and to decipher what had caused the alarm to be set off. She knew this overall process would actually take quite a bit of time, but she only needed a few minutes. Matsumoto gleefully pulled on the alarm and had to keep herself from squealing out loud when she heard the siren start.

Ukitake heard the alarm go off and knew that was his cue. Part of him couldn't believe that he had agreed to this idea while the other part of him was thoroughly amused. "Everybody, get to the training grounds immediately!" He herded the remaining members of his squad down to join the rest that were already doing their morning routines.

"Captain, what's going on?" Kaien asked.

"I don't know, something has set off the alarm." Ukitake said, trying to act concerned and confused.

"We should go check it out!" Kaien made to leave when Ukitake grabbed his arm.

"No, let's make sure all of our squad members are safe and accounted for, then we'll put together a small team to assess the situation."

"Hai, taicho."

Matsumoto hid under Ukitake's desk until she was sure that all the squad members were out of the division and on the training field. _Perhaps this was a bit overboard?_ _ I mean, I did just cause the entire thirteenth division to evacuate its headquarters just so I could leave an anonymous note! _Matsumoto thought to herself, but quickly dismissed the idea because of all the fun she was having. _I feel like a ninja on a secret mission!_ _ Hhmm... I should have my own theme music. _She took out a small hand drawn map that showed her the way to Miyako's quarters. Matsumoto flashed to Miyako's room and placed the note and rose on the nightstand. Her smile only widened when she thought about how much fun she was having and then quickly flashed back to her own division. Grabbing a quill and parchment, Matsumoto wrote a small note to Saya.

_"The egg is in the nest!"_

_Matsumoto Rangiku _

A couple of hours later the thirteenth division was finally returning back to its normal flow. No one could figure out what had set off the emergency alarms though. It was rather strange, especially since the high tech alarms didn't set off easily.

"What do you think it was, taicho?" Kaien asked as they were entering the offices.

"Who knows? Sometimes these things just happen. We should be thankful that no one was hurt." Juushiro said, trying to sound as convincing as possible. "Looks like you have a bit of mail there, Kaien-san."

"Hm? Oh yeah, I guess I do." Kaien picked up the letter and began to read it.

_"Dear Shiba-sama,_

_Please meet me at Restaurant Ichiban on Saturday at 8:00 p.m. Bring this white rose when you come and I will have its partner on the table. I hope to see you there. Please don't let me down._

_Sincerely,_

_Your secret Admirer."_

"Do you know anything about this, taicho?" Kaien said while handing him the letter."

"Not a thing, Kaien. But you should go, it would be unkind to let the poor girl down."

At the same time, a pretty young squad member was reading her letter as well.

_"Dear Miyako-san,_

_Please meet me at Restaurant Ichiban on Saturday at 8:00 p.m. Bring this rose with you and lay it on the table. I will be bringing another to give to you that night._

_Sincerely,_

_Your Secret Admirer."_

Miyako read the letter over and over and clutched to the rose. She hoped the letter was from "him."

* * *

Phase Two: The Date

Matsumoto and Saya were both wearing dark kimono tops and hakama with a black cap on top of their heads. They had even used some black face paint to put stripes under their eyes. If anyone had seen them, the authorities would have surely been called because they looked like criminals. But this was just part of their plan. After instructing the host to seat the couple in the corner of the courtyard, they hid behind a row of bushes so that they could spy. Well, Saya argued that they weren't spying; rather, they were just checking in to make sure everything would go as planned. The devilish duo were having a hard time keeping quiet as they kept breaking out in giggle fits whenever they would look at each other. Saya and Matsumoto were having a lot of fun playing matchmaker spies.

"This is so exciting, Saya-san! I can't wait to see what happens!"

"I know! They'll be thanking us after tonight! OH! I see Miyako coming in now! Okay okay... it's time to be serious!" Saya said, attempting to put on a serious face; all it did was cause Matsumoto to giggle again.

Miyako looked around nervously and hoped that she would spot the man with a matching white rose, but no such luck, she would have to wait for him. The host sat her at the table Matsumoto and Saya had specified. Miyako looked absolutely beautiful. She wore a lavendar colored kimono with a golden floral pattern. Her sash was a darker shade of purple and matched the ribbon in her hair. She had even powdered her face and put rouge on her cheeks.

"Perfect!" Matsumoto whispered. "Kaien is sure to be even more head over heels for her if she looks like that!"

"Shh! Here comes Kaien now! Wow, I didn't know he could clean up that well!" Saya whispered back.

It was true. Kaien had opted for a white kimono top with forest green hakama. His hair was combed, even though it still looked messy, and he had made sure that he was clean shaven. Matsumoto and Saya looked at each other with raised eyebrows and nodded.

Now it was Kaien's turn to look around the courtyard. Before the host could even lead Kaien to his table, he started walking towards Miyako. When Miyako saw him, she blushed terribly and looked down at her hands.

"Good evening Miyako-san. I'm so happy to see you here. I see you have a white rose." Kaien said with a smile and a bow. His face had gone pink.

"Yes, Shiba-san, I see you have one too. I'm glad it's you. I was hoping it was you."

Kaien sat down but looked slightly confused. "Hoping it was me? What do you mean by that? Wasn't it you that sent me this rose and the note?"

"No, Shiba-san, I thought it was you who sent me the rose and letter?"

"Actually, I didn't." Kaien furrowed his brow slightly.

"So you mean, you don't want to have dinner with me?" Miyako sounded almost sad.

"You misunderstand me, Miyako-san. I'm very happy to be here with you. It's just that I didn't have the courage to ask you out before. So I think someone set this up for us."

"Well it was nice of them, whoever they are."

"Uh, yes…" Kaien made a mental note to increase the intensity of Saya's training. At the same time, he was happy that she pulled this little stunt.

Kaien and Miyako started talking like they had been together for years. She laughed at all of his jokes, even the dumb ones, and he flattered her throughout the meal. They were perfect for one another. Saya and Matsumoto watched the couple with victorious looks on their faces. Not only did they manage to get Miyako and Kaien to go on a date, they had managed not to get caught "making sure everything went well."

A couple of times Kaien remarked on how he felt like he was being watched and then would eye the bushes suspiciously. Miyako would just laugh and say that he was being silly.

"There are a lot of people around, Shiba-san, so that's probably why you feel like you're being watched."

"Yeah, I guess so." Kaien would say and then try to make some stupid joke again.

Yes, Saya and Matsumoto were feeling pretty proud of themselves and then they noticed that Kaien was leaning in for a kiss. Saya gasped and Matsumoto squealed. Right after that they looked at each other with worried faces; they had just given themselves away after trying to be so careful not to get caught.

Kaien pulled back from Miyako and turned to the bushes. "I knew it!"

"Oh no! We've been caught!" Saya whispered to Matsumoto.

"Quick, RUN!" Matsumoto said.

But they were too late; Kaien had already grabbed both of them by the hair to keep them from moving. He dragged them through the bushes and into the court yard making quite the scene. Of course, this was a rather comical scene for the other patrons. A young man having dinner with a lovely young lady now had two women by the hair and down on their knees in front of him. They were dressed like criminal ninjas and each had their hands on top of his so that he couldn't yank on their hair too hard.

"He must be a two-timer!" Said a lady at a nearby table, looking offended.

"It looks more like he's a three-timer to me." The gentleman sitting next to her said. _I must ask how he manages to do that. Of course, it doesn't look like he can handle all three of them; he did just get caught. Maybe I should take two-timing advice from someone else._ "I'm disgusted that anyone would do that. What a swine." He finished, smiling at his lady friend.

Kaien ignored the conversations going on around him, "What do you think you two are doing?!" He asked through gritted teeth.

"Well, uh… Saya can explain!"

"Thanks a lot, Matsumoto! I thought we were in on this together?"

"Somebody had better explain now." Kaien said. "Why exactly are you here? Why are you hiding? Finally, why are dressed like thieves?"

"Uh, well… you see we went through all this trouble to get the letters to you… you know, having it delivered through the snail mail so you couldn't trace it and then Matsumoto tripped the alarm so that she could put them in Miyako's room…"

"Rangiku, you tripped the alarm?!"

"Yes, but aren't you glad I did?"

"Ugh… continue Kyouraku." A vein started to bulge slightly in Kaien's forehead. He still hadn't let go of their hair and had to restrain himself from yanking it out.

"Well, we just wanted to make sure that you would like each once you finally got together! We wanted to make sure our efforts paid off! Uh, the outfits are for added effect." Saya finished quickly. She was hoping that Kaien would let go of her hair sooner rather than later; he, by no means, was being gentle with them. "But clearly you get along great! So we'll just leave!"

"We would have gotten away with it if you hadn't almost kissed her Kaien!" Matsumoto said with a smile plastered on her face. "Who knew that after you couldn't even ask her out, you'd try to put the moves on her before dessert was served!"

Kaien sighed and let them go; they took that opportunity to make a swift departure.

"They did that for us?" Miyako asked when Kaien re-joined her at the table.

"Sounds like it."

"They sure did go through a lot of trouble." She said as she smiled. "I'm glad they did. You're lucky to have such good friends."

Kaien smiled back but in his mind he was going to make sure that Saya's last bit of training would be hell for her. "Yeah, I guess so. But where were we?"

* * *

Phase Three: The Report

"SUCCESS!" Saya and Matsumoto yelled out as they burst through the office doors in the eighth division. Both were out of breath but were beaming at the same time. Shunsui, Juushiro, and Nanao were all in there waiting to hear how the date had gone.

"This calls for a little celebration, ne?!" Matsumoto said.

"I'm one step ahead of you, Matsumoto-san." Shunsui said as he started handing out cups of sake.

Saya and Matsumoto retold every detail they could think of, interrupting each other throughout.

"How are we to tell everyone of the good news?" Shunsui asked after the two giddy girls were done telling their story.

"What do you mean by 'everyone,' taicho?" Nanao asked in her stern tone of voice.

"You know, Nanoa-chan, everyone!" Shunsui said happily as he downed his cup in one gulp.

"Now, Shunsui-san, we don't want to make things uncomfortable for them. They've only had their first date." Ukitake said, "And it was already interrupted by Matsumoto and Kyouraku-san. They may be uncomfortable if we go telling everyone."

Shunsui just smiled at his friend, "Perhaps you're right, Juushiro?" But the smirk that Shunsui wore on his face was enough to tell Juushiro that the whole Sereitei would know by morning.

He turned out to be right. By the next morning, everyone was talking about the good looking lieutenant from squad thirteen and his date with his beautiful subordinate.

* * *

It had been almost a month since Saya and Matsumoto had set up Kaien and Miyako. Saya was fully aware that her training over that time period had increased in intensity. She went home tired every night with a few more scrapes and bruises than she had left with. Overall, Saya was happy with the progress she made in the short amount of time, even though her swordsmanship wasn't as good as her hand to hand combat. Everytime she had to fight Ikkaku she could feel her anxiety and fear levels rise. She couldn't help it, she kept thinking of her nightmare, even if they did only spar with wooden swords.

Thankfully, the nightmare hadn't returned. Saya hadn't had any other memories return to her either. Perhaps it was because she was so tired after training. She would return home, bathe, and then fall asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. She mainly had dreamless sleeps; or at least, she couldn't remember the ones she had. Saya thought about it and realized she hadn't spoken much with her zanpakuto lately either. When she thought about it; it was like she shut off the connection to him while she was training.

_That's kind of silly, I bet he could help me more if I kept myself open to him during those times._

_"You think?" Her purple eyed friend said sarcastically._

_"Sorry, it's not like I meant to. I did it unconsciously."_

_"I know, Saya-sama. It's hard to keep your connection open with your zanpakuto when you're first learning. But try to not to cut off the connection between us and I'll always be there to help out."_

_"I'll try my best."_

_"You always do." _Saya could see his sweet smile in the back of her mind.

Without realizing it, Saya had already made it to the thirteenth division. She said hi to the guards like she did every morning and made her way to the lakeside behind the main offices. Waiting for her there was Kaien.

"It's about time Saya. This is our last session with your entrance exam being held tomorrow and I want to get in one final and very important lesson." He said with a smirk.

Saya decided she did not like the look on his face and was a little timid in asking him what the lesson was. His smirk turned into a devilish grin as he started to explain her footwork lesson for that day. Saya's eyes grew wide at what he was asking her to do.

"WHAT?! Are you crazy? I'm more likely to get killed than learn how to flash step! Besides, isn't that hard to master? It takes shinigami years, doesn't it?"

"Look, you've done it before. Kyouraku-taicho told me that you performed flash in a game of tag with your friends. This is basically the same thing."

"It is not!"

"Don't worry, Saya. You'll be fine. Now go."

"How will I ever get it?"

"You'll figure out a way. Go."

Saya scoffed slightly and turned to walk out of the division. She was sure that this was the ultimate payback for spying on his first date with Miyako. However, she didn't think he would go this far to get back at her; and she wasn't altogether sure why she was going along with it. Probably because she had learned to trust Kaien. She had spent most of her time with him over the last month, and he had gone out of his way to help her train. So the least she could do was participate in his final lesson; no matter how much she hated the idea of it.

Saya had eventually made her way to her destination, the sixth division. She stood in front of the door already shaking in fear.

_"Calm down Saya-sama. You'll be fine."_

_"I don't feel fine now."_

_"Kaien-san wouldn't have done this if he thought your safety was an issue. Trust him."_

Saya took a deep breath and knocked on the door. Kuchiki's baritone voice came through on the other side, "Enter."

Saya slid the door open and saw that he was alone in the office. She bowed low to him and waited for permission to rise. Byakuya stood up from his desk and gave his permission a few moments later. She looked up at him. She was thinking that he truly was a handsome man, but his slate-colored eyes didn't hold the warmth of Juushiro's chocolate ones.

"Ohayougozaimasu, Kuchiki-sama."

"Yes, good morning Kyouraku-san. Is there something I can do for you?" He asked.

Saya stood there silently wondering how she was going to complete the next step of her lesson.

"Are you alright, Kyouraku-san? You're shaking." Byakuya said as he took a few steps closer to Saya.

Saya's breathing had become shallow as her anxiety levels grew with each passing moment.

"Hai, I'm fine, Kuchiki-sama. Thank you for your concern. It's just that…" Saya started to say as she stepped closer towards Kuchiki. When she stopped they were less than an arms length apart.

Kuchiki raised his brow ever so slightly, curious about Saya's actions.

"It's just that I need something… from you." She said, her eyes fixed on the floor.

"What is it that you need?"

"Well, you see…" Saya said as she raised her eyes to him. Kuchiki was fully aware of the scared look they held, but he kept his expression as emotionless as ever. "It's just that I need…" She took another small step closer to him and lifted her arm.

Kuchiki didn't move and he had noticed how graceful she was in that moment, and how delicate she looked. But that thought quickly left him as he felt her hand pulling his kenseiken off of his head. Saya quickly turned and darted out of the door.

Byakuya smiled slightly to himself. _It's only fair to let her have a little head start; she is no match for me._

* * *

When Saya first looked back, she didn't see Byakuya following her. But then she realized he was already in front of her.

_OH LORD OH LORD OH LORD OH LORD!_ She thought to herself as she quickly changed directions to get around him.

He began to pursue her and would always get close enough that it would cause her to put on a little more speed or do some fancy footwork in order to avoid being caught. He even unsheathed Senbonzakura, which only increased Saya's haste to get away. Without realizing it, she was jumping from rooftop to rooftop, her steps getting faster as she put more effort into running away. She had even made it to the thirteenth division and was trying to get to Kaien before Byakuya decided to release his zanpakuto. She jumped up onto the offices and she could not only see Kaien, but Shunsui and Ukitake standing by the side of the lake as well. But she would never make it to them.

Saya felt fingers wrap around her wrist not even a second after she had jumped of the roof. Somehow, Kuchiki-sama had managed to twist her around in the air and when the landed, she ended up on her knees facing him.

"Moshikaneru (I'm sorry to trouble you), Kuchiki-sama!" Saya began with her head held low, "Please forgive me!"

"What is the meaning of this?" Kuchiki asked calmly.

"Kaien had wanted me to have a crash-course in shunpo. He thought this would be the best route, since you are so skilled, Kuchiki-sama. He thought that I would do better if I had to run away from someone, rather than just practicing on my own. Please forgive me, Kuchiki-sama. Although it wasn't my idea, I did go along with it. My deepest apologies." Saya's head was still low as she knelt before Byakuya; he still holding onto her wrist.

Then she felt herself being pulled up by him. He carefully took the kenseiken from her grasp; that's when she allowed herself to look at his face. She noted that he looked rather handsome without the adornments in hair, almost normal rather than noble. She swallowed hard though; her unease still ever present. Juushiro noticed the way that Saya had looked at Byakuya and didn't care for it at all. Of course, he didn't care when she had been on her knees in front of him either. Overall, he wasn't a fan of the scenario being played out in front of him.

Saya was a bit startled when she heard Kaien laughing and then noticed the small smile that had appeared on Byakuya's face. She turned herself slightly and looked back and forth between the two.

"That's great Saya! I didn't actually know if you would go along with it!" Kaien said as he howled, "Thanks Kuchiki! I owe you one."

Saya's eyes went wide. "Is Kuchiki-sama smiling? Kuchiki-sama, you were in on this?"

"Do you think you would have actually been able to take my kenseiken if I had not? You wouldn't have even made it out of the door." He said in an amused tone.

"Kaien-dono! It's not funny, stop laughing!"

"I can't help it, Saya! Now you can call us even for spying on me!"

"What? Kaien-dono, I thought that I was going to be cut up by Senbonzakura! I hardly call that equal to me spying on you and Miyako-san!"

"That's hardly an appropriate thanks, Saya." Kaien said, still laughing.

"Why should I be thanking you?"

"Did you notice? Although they weren't the fastest or longest strides, you performed shunpo!"

Saya stood quietly for a minute as the realization hit her. He was right. She gave Kaien a sly smile and then turned and bowed to Byakuya, "Thank you, Kuchiki-sama for helping me with my flash step. I appreciate it very much. I feel more than ready for my exam tomorrow." She began to walk off.

"HEY!" Kaien shouted behind her, "It was my idea!"

Saya ignored Kaien and went into the main offices. A few minutes later Ukitake joined her with a smile on his face.

"Are you alright, Kyouraku-san?"

"Oh, I'm fine."

"Are you mad at Kaien?"

"Well, no… not really. He did help me in the end, didn't he? And I guess I deserved it a little."

Juushiro smiled at Saya and couldn't stop himself from asking the question that was on his mind. "Kyouraku-san?"

"Yes, Ukitake-san?"

"Do you fancy Byakuya?"

Saya was a little taken back by his question, she wasn't sure how she was supposed to react. She thought about it for a few moments before answering, "I would be lying if I said I didn't find Kuchiki-sama attractive. However, I can honestly say that I don't fancy being with him."

Juushiro let out a small breath he didn't know he was holding and smiled at Saya.

"Why do you ask, Ukitake-san?"

"Just wondering." He said sheepishly causing Saya to blush.

* * *

The next day Saya smiled at her friends Miroku and Hiami who were sitting next to her in the huge lecture hall. Nerves were high that day as the prospective students squirmed and fidgeted in an effort to relieve their anxieties. Any moment now, Yamamoto-soutaicho himself would enter and begin the only paper portion of the exam. It would test reasoning and problem solving abilities of the future students. Physical portions, including hand to hand combat, reitsu control, and swordsmanship would be tested later in the day. Results were to be posted that evening, which Saya was thankful for. She didn't know if she could stand not knowing if she had made it in or not. She kept her fingers crossed that she would make it into the advanced class, especially after all the effort Kaien, Ikkaku, and even Byakuya had put in to helping her train.

Saya closed her eyes and took a deep breath trying to calm her nerves when she suddenly heard a hush cover the crowd. She opened her eyes to see Soutaicho standing in front of the hall.

"We shall begin."

………

Saya walked towards her brother's manor after she had seen the results of her hard work that day. Her head was hung low as she opened the door and stepped inside. Several people were in there waiting for her, and in her peripheral vision she saw her two brothers, father, Kaien, Ukitake, Matsumoto, Miyako, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Aizen, Byakuya, and even Gin. She could feel the anticipation in the crowd as she raised her head to look at them all, her face blank.

"Well Imo-chan, how did you do?" Shunsui asked.

Saya allowed a few moments to pass before a smile graced her lips.

"You are looking at a new student in the advanced class in the Shinigami Academy!" Saya announced. "Classes start next week!"

Cheers filled the room as the servants started pouring sake and setting out food to celebrate. After receiving hugs from her family, Aizen was one of the first to go over and congratulate her on her acceptance into school.

"We should expect great things from you, Kyouraku-san." He said with his kind smile. Saya just blushed slightly as she said her thanks.

After several hours of celebrating and after the last guest had left, Saya made her way out to the fountain in the back courtyard. She was a little surprised to see Ukitake out there, staring into the mist that sprayed off.

"I didn't realize you were still here, Ukitake-taicho." Saya said as she went to stand beside him.

"Hmm, I wasn't quite ready to leave yet. Besides, I needed some fresh air. Thoughts are always more clear with silence and clean air."

Saya stood there, not really knowing what to say.

"Cogratulations on making it into the Academy, Saya-sama." Ukitake said.

Saya's heart skipped a beat when she heard Juushiro call her by her name. Although he had used it when talking about her, he had never used it to address her. "Thank you, Ukitake-san."

Juushiro stood there quietly for a few minutes and then let out a small sigh. "You know, students and members of the protection squads aren't allowed to be involved in relationships that aren't considered professional."

Saya nodded once, hating where this conversation was going.

Ukitake turned and grabbed her shoulders and moved her so that she was facing him.

"So…" he whispered as moved her bangs out of her face and tucked them behind her ear, "I wanted to do this before it wasn't allowed."

Ukitake looked into Saya's eyes and gently stroked her cheek with his fingers and started to lean down towards her face. She felt his hand move to the back of her neck while his thumb tilted her chin up. Saya couldn't breath as she felt his soft lips touch her own in what had to be the most tender of kisses. Saya's eyes closed as she relished in the feeling of the kiss. Moments later, Juushiro pulled away slightly and pressed his forehead to Saya's and ran his fingers through her golden locks.

Not fifty feet away, two shinigami, one a sake-loving taicho and the other a big-busted fukutaicho, gave each other a high-five.

* * *

**Author's Note**: First I'd like to thank Shedevil85, Kairi-senpai, Fefisgbf13, rukia23, SorryCharlie, GermanBubbles, Ukitake-chan, White Alchemist Taya, and firewaterearthwind for taking the time to comment and review the last chapter! I appreciated them all so thank you so much! Hershey kisses for everyone! XD I hope you all enjoyed your personal haiku as well!

I have to say, I really like this chapter! I hope that doesn't sound conceited, I just had a lot of fun writing it so I hope you had a lot of fun reading it! Now please take the time to leave your comments and reviews because I really do feel inspired by them! Thank you for reading!


	20. Chapter 20: The Fight

Disclaimer: Okay… I double checked recently just to make sure… and yeah, I still don't own Bleach.

* * *

While leaning against a jacaranda tree, Saya busied herself by making a crown out of the foxgloves she had picked earlier. She carefully wove the stems and leaves so that it would hold together and wouldn't fall apart when she finished. With her hands still busy, Saya looked over at her friend. He sat beside her, leaning against "their" tree with his eyes closed. Saya would have guessed him to be asleep if she didn't know any better.

"Hanryo, what do you think of this crown?" She asked. Saya had started calling her zanpakuto "Hanryo" (partner) since she was still unable to hear his name. She didn't like not having something to call him, so one day she decided to use that term to refer to him. They were together all of the time and the connection they had made them partners in everything they did; so why not call him that? It made perfect sense to her.

He seemed please with it when Saya first tried it out, "For now," he had said with a small smile. "But I expect you to learn my name before you enter the protection squads."

The man with windswept hair opened his purple eyes and looked at the flowery circlet in Saya's hands. "Very nice, Saya-sama."

Saya smiled to herself, she knew he wasn't really interested in the flower crown one way or the other, but he said it to please her. She continued to weave and knot while her friend closed his eyes once more, enjoying the breeze.

"I'm happy that I get to spend so much time with you, Hanryo. We used to do this a lot before, didn't we? Where I would come and simply be here with you?"

"Hai, Saya-sama. In fact, I can tell you that you've made at least a hundred flower crowns over the years."

"How come I always come into your world, Hanryo? Why do you never visit mine?"

"Saya-sama doesn't possess the strength to bring me into her world. Saya-sama must become strong."

"Oh, I see." Saya said a little disappointed.

Her zanpakuto sensed this change within her and opened his eyes to look at her again, "Don't worry, Saya-sama, I'm sure you will grow strong enough to materalize me into your physical world someday."

Saya just smiled and nodded. She was thinking about how content and peaceful she felt when she visited this inner world. A playful breeze seemed to always be blowing, the temperature was never too hot, and the colors were so vibrant. The two of them always seemed to end up under the same tree during their visits together. It was the biggest one around, with a huge trunk to lean against and it provided a lot of shade.

"All done." Saya said as she knoted the last stem. She sat back and admired the purple and green coronet in her hands. Saya sat up on her knees and placed it on Hanryo's head.

"What are you doing, Saya-sama?" He asked. He seemed annoyed that she had placed a rather feminine looking crown atop his head, but didn't move to take it off.

"I thought the King should have a crown." Saya said teasingly.

"Hmpf. You could have made it more manly. This one is covered in flowers."

"They match your eyes!"

Hanryo smiled at his Master and shook his head. "Anyway, Saya-sama, it is time for you go. We have classes to attend. Besides, today is an important day. Some of the captains will be coming to check on how the new students are performing after being in the academy for a month. Perhaps the pretty taicho will be there and you want to impress him, don't you?"

"Oh! I forgot. Hmm, I hope the HANDSOME taicho is there. I still think about that kiss everyday. It would be nice to see him, even if I can't speak with him."

* * *

A few moments later Saya opened her sleepy eyes and took in the view around her. She wished she could say that she was in her brother's manor snuggled beneath the soft down comforter; but no, she was in her small dorm room that she shared with Hiami. It took Saya some getting used to; in fact, she wasn't entirely adjusted to living like this. She had been used to having servants bring her meals and help her dress. Now she had to eat in a mess hall and thankfully the uniform was simple enough that Saya was able to dress herself without too much trouble. Luckily, she and Hiami were willing to help each other out when they didn't have to be in uniform.

Saya traced the outline of her friend, who was still asleep in her own bed across the room. She took a deep breath in an attempt to force out the sleepiness that still lingered over her body. Rolling over on her stomach, Saya slowly pushed herself back onto her knees with her bottom resting on the heels of her feet and proceeded to stretch her back much like a cat would. She placed her feet on the hard bamboo flooring and allowed herself another big stretch and yawn before calling to Hiami to wake up. Her roommate grumbled a little bit but eventually dragged herself out of bed as well.

They walked together down the hall to the common bathroom that was shared between the twenty-five girls living on that floor of the dorm. The girls washed their faces and cleaned their teeth before heading back to the room and changing into the standard red and white uniform. Saya tied her hair into a matching red ribbon before walking out of the door to have breakfast.

Saya and Hiami sat with Miroku and some other friends that they had made over the last month. They were all discussing which captains were going to come and observe them while they went through their classes that day.

"I bet Kyouraku-taicho will come, since you're his sister and all." Hiami said before taking a bit of her omelet.

"I don't know, that may be a reason why he doesn't come." Saya answered back.

"I'm so nervous about the captains coming!" Another girl by the name of Midori stated while nibbling on some fruit, "I can hardly eat breakfast my stomach is so upset!"

"I'm sure you'll do fine," Miroku said, "they're just coming to watch, I doubt they'll say anything to us." He flashed Midori a huge smile. It was pretty clear that Midori and Miroku fancied each other, and would often "study" after classes.

"What classes do we have today anyway?" Asked another new friend, Hideki.

"Uh… let's see. We have lecture first 'History of Sereitei' – yawn- and then after that we have morning warm ups. Uh.. break for lunch… then sword fighting and we end the day on the kidou grounds." Answered a bored sounding voice from a boy named Kazuki. Even though he was on the small side, he seemed to attract a lot of attention from members of the opposite sex. Girls were always following him around, but he didn't always take notice. Kazuki was picky when it came to his girlfriends, and not just any girl would do.

Saya frowned a little when she heard him mention the swordsmanship class. Of all of her classes, she disliked that one the most. Saya was doing well in all of her classes, not really standing out much from the other students, but she didn't fall below their skill level either. In general she liked being at the academy and enjoyed learning so many new things; but she still hadn't completely broken through her fear of sword fighting which caused her nerves to frazzle whenever she stepped into the gym where class was held.

"Well anyway, we had better get going. Class starts in ten minutes." Midori said to the group.

A collective moan was heard but the group started getting their things together and made the familiar walk from the dining area to the main lecture hall. The lecture included students from both the advanced and regular placement classes, but they still seemed to segregate themselves despite that. The advanced students always sat in the front rows and the regular students behind them. Saya took her seat by the window in the fifth row. It was close enough where she could hear, but far enough away where she could doodle and not get caught. She also liked to be able to look outside when the droning voice of her sensei got to be too much.

A few rows behind her sat a boy by the name of Morimoto Kenta. He had grown up in one of the poorer districts of rukongai with only his father raising him. His mother had abandoned her family when he was still only a baby. His looks were rugged and a little unkempt, but he was one of the top students in the class. He was making it a point to prove to everyone that family name wasn't everything and that anyone could be a powerful student and shinigami. But because of his situation, he despised most of his colleagues in the advanced class. A lot the students in the advanced class came from aristocratic and noble families whose bloodlines were known for having high reitsu. He immediately found and befriended any student who struggled in Rukongai like himself and became a leader of sorts for them.

Saya had noticed Kenta here and there, but overall didn't pay much attention to him. She preferred to keep to her own friends most of the time and didn't care to befriend someone, who in her opinion, had a chip on their shoulder. Saya didn't dislike Morimoto-san, but she didn't like him either. She knew that his feelings towards her were not so apathetic. He had lumped her into the group with the rest of the children from noble and aristocratic families and disliked Saya simply because her name was Kyouraku. She had stopped counting how many times he and his friends would make comments about how she didn't deserve to be in the academy at all; and the only reason she was there was because her brother was a captain and her father was a well respected member of society. She ignored it, not really caring what someone like him had to say anyway.

Morita-sensei's voice started to fill the lecture hall and soon the scratching of pens resounded as all of the students busily took notes. None of the captains had come in for the lecture, but that wasn't really surprising. They were going to observe their physical courses; having the ability to jot notes was not something the captains cared about. Saya would look to her left from time to time and stare out of the window for a few brief moments before turning her attention back to the lecturer in front of her.

* * *

Midori squealed a little when she saw Captain Aizen standing in the dojo where they would go through their morning warm ups and routines. Midori found his wavy hair and glasses "sexy" as she had once put it. Miroku looked slightly miffed at the sight of him and Hiami just rolled her eyes. Saya looked to see that Aizen was walking over to her.

"Good morning, Kyouraku-san." He said with a smile.

"Good morning, Aizen-taicho." Saya said with a bow.

"It's good to see you. How are you enjoying the academy?"

"Very much, Taicho, thank you for asking." Saya could see Midori from the corner of her eye. Midori was squirming at the chance to meet her captain crush. Saya sighed, "Captain, these are some of my friends; Hiami and Miroku are friends I knew from home and I've just recently become friends with Midori-san, Hedeki-kun, and Kazuki-kun." She said as she pointed to each.

Aizen said hello to each one individually and they all bowed. Miroku, Saya noticed, edged a little closer to Midori when Aizen said hello to her.

"Well Kyouraku-san, I'll be observing your class for the rest of the day. Your brother, Ukitake-taicho, and Kuchiki-fukutaicho are coming as well. The fifth division captain wanted to be here, but had some personal business come up at the last minute, so he's sending Kuchiki in his place. The captains from the tenth, third and ninth divisions are following the regular class today."

"Oh, I see," was all that Saya really knew what to say back. She was happy to hear that her brother and Ukitake were coming though. She felt herself smile as she thought back to her kiss with Juushiro.

"Well, do a good job. It looks like class is about to start." Aizen said as he patted her on the head.

After he got out of earshot, Midori grabbed onto Saya's arm, "You're SO lucky! I wish he could have patted me on the head! I wouldn't wash my hair for a month!"

"Gross." Kazuki said in his flat tone.

But Kenta had a slight sneer on his face as he had watched the scene from across the room. He knew Saya had received training from high ranking members of the protection squads, and it looked like the captains were already favoring her. _What a joke_. He thought to himself, _She probably wouldn't have even passed the entrance exam on her own skill. She doesn't deserve to be here. I'll just have to prove how superior my own skill is._ He didn't have much more time to think about it though, as their instructor had told them to line up to begin their morning work out.

The students ran, skipped, hopped, flipped, somersaulted, and jumped around the mat. Then they started with simple yoga stretches to loosen up their muscles. Warm-ups included punches; kicks; combinations of the two; stances; and forms. Saya always liked the forms; they were always a series of various blocks, kicks, and attacks. It was almost like a choreographed dance that made the students concentrate on technique and balance. It also made her think of the dream she had of the little girl peeking through the gym doors and watching the samurai within the walls perform some of the same movements she was engaged in now.

After that they did a short free-fighting exercise. Midori rushed over to be Saya's partner. Saya knew it was because Midori thought that Aizen might be watching Saya more than the other students; therefore, Aizen would be watching whomever Saya was sparring against. This didn't bother her though, Midori was really good in hand to hand combat and Saya knew that Midori hoped to join the Stealth Squad under Soifon-taicho.

* * *

"That was fun!" Midori said as she skipped in front of her friends towards the dining hall.

"I don't know if I would say that." Saya said. It took all the restraint she had _not_ to rub her sore backside in public. Midori had managed to catch Saya off guard and as a result, Saya landed roughly on her bottom at the end of their match. Even though Midori was always tough to spar against, Saya (much to her chagrin) could tell Midori had put in a little extra effort today. Miroku could tell as well and had been walking quietly with a slight scowl marring his handsome features.

"I thought that captains were watching us all day, so far it's only been Aizen-taicho." Hideki stated as he sat down at one of the tables with his tray.

"Hhmmm… they're probably more interested in the sword fighting and kidou classes we have after this." Kazuki replied in his bored tone. "I'm sure we'll see Kyouraku-taicho, Ukitake-taicho, and Kuchiki-fukutaicho then too."

"Kuchiki-fukutaicho is so dreamy." This time it was Hiami who spoke. "He's so refined. I love his hair, like black silk cascading around him."

"Hiami-san!" Midori said while she laughed, "I didn't know you had such a crush on Kuchiki-sama!"

"Is it so odd? He's the best looking man in Sereitei. Besides, you have a crush on Aizen-taicho." Hiami shot back.

Saya noticed that both Miroku and Kazuki were looking put-off by the conversation; and she couldn't help but chuckle a little at her observation.

"I hear your brother will be coming to observe us, Kyouraku." It was the voice of Kenta.

_How rude, no honorifics? He doesn't know me well enough nor should someone in his position ever address me without them._ Saya sighed and tried to think nice things before speaking. "Yes Morimoto-san, I heard that as well."

"You mean you don't know, Kyouraku? I figured you would know everything that goes on here before any of us found out."

Saya gave him a sweet smile and batted her eyelashes a few times. Not because she was feeling particularly sweet towards the young man standing in front of her, but to keep herself from biting his head off. He or one of his friends frequently made it a point to mention her connections to the officers or the fact that her brother was a captain. She was growing tired of their snide comments and insults. They liked to ignore the fact that since entering the academy, she had not seen her brother, Kaien, Ukitake, or any of her other friends that she had made within the guard.

"I know as much as you, Morimoto-san." Then Saya turned back around towards her friends. She decided she was done with the conversation.

"See you in class." He said in a cold tone of voice while he walked away, his little gang following behind him.

"He's so rude!" Midori said. Saya agreed but finished her meal and pretended like the whole interaction never occurred.

* * *

Saya stood in the dojo waiting for class to begin when she noticed her brother walk in with Juushiro, Aizen and Byakuya. He waved hello from across the room and she smiled brightly. He was wearing his usual pink haori and straw hat. It had seemed like so long since Saya and seen her brother. She knew she wasn't allowed to approach him, but just seeing him made her happy. Juushiro gave her a sweet smile and a nod of the head. Saya hoped that she didn't blush too much at the sight of him. Byakuya simply nodded. Hiami let out an audible sigh next to Saya; clearly Hiami was swooning.

The class turned their attention to their sensei and bowed when he walked into the dojo.

"Today we will give the visiting captains a little something to watch, ne? You will each be paired up with a partner of my choosing and will spar until one of you lands what would be considered a deadly hit with a real zanpakuto. Of course, we will be using our wooden practice swords rather than a real zanpakuto; but we all know how much those can hurt. Please bow to the captains when stepping onto the mat and then to each other. Our first pair will be…"

Saya watched and cheered her friends on when it was their turn. Hiami was able to win her fight quickly while Miroku took a little longer. Hiami smirked at her brother and he knew that he was going to have to listen to her tease him about how his sister was a better swordsman than he was. Hideki won pretty quickly, his brute strength having a lot to do with his victory rather than his skill level. Midori lost after putting up a good fight with one of Kenta's female gang members. She didn't mind too much though, as long as she always won when it came to hand-to-hand combat. Kazuki lost as well, but not without putting up a big fight with a student twice his size.

Saya looked around and realized that there were only two students who hadn't sparred yet; and she was one of them.

"Kyouraku-san and Morimoto-san, please take a practice sword and step onto the mat."

Shunsui perked up when he heard his sister's name called, he had been waiting to see her. He was hoping that she had gotten over her fear of swords and was progressing nicely. He lifted his straw hat ever so slightly to get a better view of the pair. He was a little surprised when he saw the look on Saya's face. It had gone flat, almost losing all expressing as she glanced towards her opponent. He, on the other hand, wore a confident smirk on his face. Shunsui looked back and forth between the pair as they bowed to him and the other captains. He could have easily sliced through the tension between them with his zanpakuto. His brow raised in curiosity as to what was about to occur between these two. He looked at Juushiro and it appeared that he had read the situation in the same way, his furrowed brow as proof.

Saya and Morimoto faced each other and bowed. Saya then set herself in a defensive stance and waited for him to attack. Needless to say, she was a little surprised when he started talking instead of attacking.

"You're ridiculous."

Saya blinked a few times in confusion but didn't say anything.

"I mean, you don't even try to attack when you're in this class. All you do is defend. You're afraid and it's pathetic."

Saya just looked at him trying to figure out what he was trying to pull. The class was completely silent as all eyes locked on the pair standing on the mat. Saya didn't say anything and continued to wait for him to make a move.

"I honestly don't know how you made it into this class, anyway. There's nothing special or great about your skill."

Saya could see Kudo-sensei out of the corner of her eye. She was surprised that he hadn't said anything to stop Morimoto from speaking and telling him to start fighting, but then again, he was looking a little shocked himself. So she continued to stand in her ready position.

"Oh wait, I know. It's because of your name. It must be nice to have a captain as a brother and not actually have to do anything to get into the academy. There are some of us who actually had to prove our worth."

Saya actually came out of her stance and stood straight with her arms at her sides, the tip of her practice sword pointing towards the ground.

"I can't believe I actually have to waste my time fighting you. You're no good and it's misuse of my own skill to have to spar with you. Hopefully I don't slide backwards in my abilities during this little exercise. I suppose you're the lucky one in this situation, you'll actually have to try to improve."

Now Saya was actually getting rather annoyed. What was it that he had to prove so badly that he took so much time trying to humiliate her in front of the class, their teacher, and the visiting captains? She hadn't even noticed that her left hand had moved to her hip and she had shifted her weight to that side as well. Her head was cocked as she looked at him with a blank expression.

"My swordsmanship ship is light years ahead of your's and…"

But Saya had heard enough and cut him off, "What is this great skill you speak of? You've done nothing but run your mouth since we stepped on the mat. The only skill I can see that you possess is the ability to spew trash from your mouth. It is quite effective though, I do rather feel like I want to die." She said flatly as she looked away from him.

Now it was Morimoto's turn to look shocked, but his face quickly turned into a dark glare. "Good, then you can go join your fake mother!"

Shunsui frowned deeply but quickly turned his attention to Saya who now seemed to be exuding a killing intent with her reitsu.

She slowly turned her face towards Morimoto. Shunsui recognized the look that Saya gave to her opponent. It was the same look that she hand given to their father when he was threatening to take her home and away from the Sereitei. The look that told the unfortunate recipient that they were worthless, nothing but trash in her eyes, and not good enough to clean the streets she walked on let alone even be allowed to look at her. As expected, the young man across from her faltered slightly and realized too late that he had gone too far.

"Saya-chan, what will you do?" Shunsui whispered to himself, almost afraid for the boy on the mat.

"Who do you think you're speaking to?" Saya questioned in a tone filled with malice. Then her lips turned up into an evil smirk. "Very well, boy, we've given you enough time."

Morimoto barely had time to raise his sword as Saya was now right in front of him bringing her own down. He could feel the hate that radiated off of her towards him. For the first time since entering the Academy, Kenta felt afraid of someone else. He could feel her reitsu pushing down on his own and trying to force his into submission. It felt like he was being sucked into a tornado as his breathing became labored.

Saya was not giving Morimoto any chances to strike her. She kept herself defended at all times while constantly attacking. It was much different than her usual fighting style in which she mainly defended and blocked. She always preferred to defend than attack, but today it was like Saya had been replaced by an entirely different girl.

Morimoto wasn't able to do anything but block Saya. If he did manage to get the chance to attack, his attempt was always blocked and then retaliated against. When he wasn't blocked by Saya's sword, it was only air he was slicing through as she dodged his every move.

_How is she moving so fast?! I've never seen her move like this before! Has she been hiding her abilities all this time?_

Saya blocked, parried, and attacked over and over. After fifteen minutes of fighting, Morimoto came to a realization.

_She's dragging this out! She could have landed a deadly blow numerous times by now but has taken those opportunities to kick, punch, or move away._

Morimoto had let himself be distracted by his thoughts and suddenly felt Saya's foot make a hard connection with his gut. He was thrown back into the wall and landed hard on his backside. He looked up to see Saya standing with her sword held behind her back so that the tip of it could be seen behind her left shoulder blade. She was standing sideways to him, so that he could make out her profile and her eyes were closed. While he was panting to get breath, she looked like she was breathing quite normally.

"Get up." She said in an icy tone. "You're wasting my time."

Morimoto made his way to his feet and noticed that Saya didn't move. He started to run towards her and brought his sword down. She blocked it before he ever saw her move. With a twist and a flick of her wrist, Saya disarmed Morimoto. She then shot the heel of her left hand hard into his sternum. All of the air seemed to leave his lungs as he felt himself flying backwards once again. This time, however, he wouldn't end up on his bottom.

Saya grabbed the front of his kimono top and pulled harshly. As she stepped to her right, she roughly pulled and forced Morimoto to fall on his knees beside her on the left. His head automatically went into a bowed position when he landed, not that he meant it to. Saya brought her sword up high and pivoted on the balls of her feet. She swung the sword down hard, but with enough control to stop right at the base of his skull. Her face wore an apathetic look even though in any other situation she would have just decapitated her enemy.

Shunsui wasn't sure what to think in that moment. Saya had purposefully lengthened a fight to humiliate her classmate. Shunsui was fully aware of the insults the boy had flung so easily her way, but he wasn't sure the punishment fit the crime. Saya had forced this boy into an ultimate submission. The position was one that high ranking officials would place their worst enemies in before beheading them in front of their subordinates. The worst part was that Saya had done it with such ease; like she had done that a hundred times to various opponents.

All eyes were still locked on Saya and Morimoto. The silence in the room is actually what knocked Saya out of her state of mind. It was like she hadn't realized until that point what she had been doing, but she clearly remembered every move she made. It shocked her that she had been so intent on humiliating her classmate, but you couldn't tell by the look on her face. She held her impassive expression as she lifted her sword from Morimoto's neck and took a few paces backwards.

"Uh, please bow to each other. Saya is the victor." Kudo-sensei said uneasily.

The two took several moments before bowing. After that, the students rushed the mat, many of the gathering around Saya while Morimoto's gang glared at her as they surrounded him. Soon everyone was making voicing their opinion of the fight they had just witnessed.

"Who knew you had it in you, Kyouraku-sama!"

"Did your brother teach you that? I've never seen fighting like that before!"

"That was horrible! How could she do that to him?"

"What do you mean? He deserved it after all of those horrible things that he said!"

Saya closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

_"Hanryo, what did I do?"_

_"Nothing you haven't done before, Saya-sama."_

Saya opened her eyes and turned her head to look through the crowd and at her brother. Even though he had brought his hat down to shade his eyes, Saya could decipher a look of disappointment that covered his face. Saya felt like she wanted to cry. She would rather her Aniki be mad at her than disappointed. She turned on her heel and set her wooden sword in the stack and exited the dojo with the rest of the class.

With all of the commotion that occurred after the fight, no one had taken notice of the evil smirk that had appeared on Aizen's face.

The fight between Morimoto and Saya was discussed amongst the students all the way to the Kidou Grounds. Even though it was only a short walk, Saya was already over being the topic of conversation. Two camps seemed to have formed made up of those that sided with Saya and those that sided with Morimoto. Saya didn't really care about either side. She just wanted to the whole thing to stop.

Throughout class she would look towards Morimoto who, like her, had been silent since the end of their fight. Saya didn't look at her brother, or any of the other captains, again. She couldn't stand to see the looks on their faces. Saya chastised herself for acting the way she did. She should be better than that, and as a Kyouraku she was never taught to humiliate others, even if they did say insulting words.

Saya sighed once more and decided to swallow her pride. She waited until most of the students were too busy watching others take their turns at the targets so that she wouldn't draw too much attention. Making her way over to Morimoto, Saya mentally prepared what it was she wanted to say.

"Morimoto-san?" Saya said to the young man who was currently leaning against a pillar with his arms crossed and eyes closed. When he didn't respond, Saya continued anyway. "Morimoto-san, I wanted to apologize for what happened earlier. I had no right to act the way I did. I don't appreciate what you said; but I could have behaved more appropriately myself. So I hope you accept my apology." She bowed slightly to him.

Kenta turned and faced Saya. He was actually semi-surprised that she had apologized, especially because he had no intention of saying that he was sorry.

"Apology accepted." He said and then turned away again.

Saya didn't really care for his attitude. She was trying to apologize and he was making it very difficult. But she decided it was best to walk away from the situation before she did anything else that she would later regret. She turned and started walking back to her group of friends when she felt a blast of kidou coming her way. Saya whipped around managed to dissipate it with her own blast before it hit her. Her brow furrowed and she frowned.

"Souta!" Yelled Kenta. "Leave her alone!"

"I can't forgive her for humiliating you!" A chubby looking peon said back.

"Look, she said she was sorry so everything is fine now. If you attack her from the back like that again, then you'll have to answer to me."

Souta didn't look too pleased with what was just said to him but he nodded his head at Kenta.

"Sorry about that, Kyouraku. It won't happen again."

Saya smiled slightly and realized that was Kenta's own way of apologizing to her, "Thank you." She said and then walked back to her friends.

Shunsui watched the scene that had played out in front of him and was glad that his sister apologized, but was still bothered by the way she acted in the first place. This also caused his curiosity to spike. He hadn't thought about where Saya had come from in such a long time. It was time he did a little research of his own to see what he could dig up about his sister. He thought back to her fighting style in the dojo. He couldn't put his finger on where he had seen fighting like that before, if he had seen it at all. Some of the moves she performed should have been highly difficult to control for amateurs; her style was a mix of a shinigami soldier, stealth squad member, and highly trained assassin. Saya's movements had been seamless and hard to read.

_Perhaps I should write to father and ask him the details from the night he found her? That would be a good place to start._

* * *

Later that night Saya squirmed restlessly in her sheets. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't make herself fall asleep. She looked over at her roommate and saw that she was in a deep sleep. Saya felt slightly jealous of her roommate's peaceful state. She kicked the covers off of her and quietly crept out of bed. She put on a black kimono and snuck out of the room.

Knowing that they both could get in trouble if she got caught, Saya continued on her journey anyway. She took the long way to her destination, trying to stay out of sight as best she could. A little while later, Saya stood at the end of a dock that led to a quaint little house on a peaceful lake. Looking around to make sure no one had followed her, she stepped onto the dock and made her way to the house.

"Come in, Saya-sama." Juushiro's voice said from the other side of the door.

Saya stepped in through the door and saw that Juushiro was sitting at a small table sipping on tea. Another cup was waiting for her, like he knew she was coming.

"I'm sorry to visit you so late, Ukitake-taicho. I know I shouldn't even be here."

Juushiro gave her a kind smile and then invited her to sit with him.

"What's on your mind, Saya-sama?"

"Do you have to ask? I'm sure you already know." Saya said in a low tone.

"Hhm… Have I ever told you my theory on why we fight?"

"No, I don't believe you have."

"There are two kinds of battles and those of us who have chosen to lead the life a soldier must learn the difference between the two. There are battles that are fought to protect lives and those that are fought to defend honor. It is easy enough to know why you fought the way you did today, Saya-san."

"To defend my pride." Saya said. "I don't feel like how I fought with him was very honorable though."

"Perhaps not? You did not have to take it as far as you did. But that is something you must learn to control as your training continues."

Saya sat quietly for a moment while she thought over the words that had just been said to her. "Ukitake-san, I don't even know where that came from. I don't remember ever knowing how to fight the way I did today."

Ukitake just nodded but remained silent.

"My brother… is he… does he…"

"I won't lie and say he wasn't a little disappointed in you, Saya-sama. But I think he was proud to see you swallow your pride and apologize to Morimoto-san. He was glad to see that you'll admit when you're in the wrong."

Saya smiled a little, glad to hear that her brother was proud of at least something she did that day… even if it that something was apologizing to Morimoto.

"Look on the bright side, Saya-sama."

"Hmm? What is the bright side?"

"At least you weren't afraid of your opponent's sword today." He said with a smile.

Saya chuckled softly, "No, I guess I wasn't?" Saya looked up at Ukitake and blushed when she met his eyes. "Ukitake-san, may I stay here with you a little longer?"

Juushiro raised an eyebrow. He wanted her to stay just as much as she did, but knew he shouldn't allow it. He was a captain and she was a student. Even if nothing was going on between them, she could be thrown out of the academy if they were caught. He might receive a punishment of some sort, but it wouldn't be nearly as severe as hers. "I'm sorry, Saya-sama, but it's like you said, you shouldn't be here in the first place. I would hate for you to get in trouble because you came to visit me. You should go before you get caught out of bed."

Saya looked disappointed but understood. She stood up and Ukitake followed to let her out. Before she opened the door he grabbed her by the elbow and turned her around to face him.

"Don't worry about today. Everything will turn out fine in the end." He bent down slightly and gave her a soft kiss on the forehead which made Saya grin widely and blush deeply.

"Goodnight, Ukitake-san." Saya said and then started back towards her dorm. She practically floated her way through the streets and found it quite easy to fall asleep once back in her bed.

* * *

**A/N**: I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter! The scene between Saya and Morimoto was one that I had in my head for a long time (much like the chase scene a couple of chapters back) and was happy to finally be able to write it. Obviously, I'm not the strongest when it comes to fight scenes, but hopefully I'll improve as the story continues.

Thank you to rukia23, firewaterearthwind, SheDevil85, Kairi-senpai, DayDreamerMagby, GermanBubbles, Fefisgbf13, and Ukitake-chan for reviewing! Apparently I had forgotten to write Ukitake-chan a haiku two chapters ago when I had promised one! If you reviewed and I didn't write you a haiku I'm very sorry! Let me know and I'll be sure to do it! Please take the time to review or comment! I always appreciate it! Thank you! Also, I've enabled the anonymous review... I'm a little nervous about it, but there you have it. XD


	21. Chapter 21: Shunsui's Search

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach... but I guess I own Saya...

* * *

Shunsui lay on the tiled roof that covered the eighth division offices. As he stared up at the starry sky he replayed Saya's fight in his mind over and over. Where had she learned to fight like that? Ikkaku didn't even fight with that style and he was the one who had trained her before she entered the academy.

_Saya-chan, it's been so long since I've thought about your past, so long since I've wondered where you come from. How is it that no one has claimed you in these twenty years? Where could are you from?_

Shunsui let out an audible sigh as he stood up and put his pink haori back around him before he jumped off of the roof and headed towards the gate that led to rukongai. He decided he should start with his father, since he was the one who found Saya so many years ago. Knowing he wouldn't be satisfied with just a written letter, Shunsui decided to go and pay late-night visit to his father. Shunsui felt confused about Saya. He loved and cared for her very much, as most older brothers do for their younger siblings. But what he saw today really bothered him. Saya's usual happy and polite demeanor had been replaced by something akin to a merciless slayer. Shunsui was sure had she not been using a bamboo practice sword, she would have easily decaptitated her fellow classmate. The discerning captain was also taken back by how intent Saya was on humiliating Kenta before delivering her final blow. Thinking back on the fight, Shunsui counted at least two dozen opportunities Saya had to land a "deadly blow" but opted to prolong the fight, and then finally reducing him to one of the most humiliating and submissive states known to warriors on the battlfield.

_Saya has done that before. I wonder how many times? Her moves were quick, precise, and even graceful. Had she not been fighting with Morimoto, one would have thought Saya was performing a complicated dance. The way she behaved today, that's not the Saya I know. She always seemed slightly unsure of her abilities; earlier today she was nothing but confidence, bordering on arrogance really. Who did she mean by "we?" "We have given you enough time." Surely Saya wasn't referring to only herself?_

By this time, Shunsui was knocking on his father's door, still entranced in his own thoughts.

"Kyouraku-sama! What a surprise, we weren't expecting you." One of the servants said when he answered the door."

"Think nothing of it. I felt the urgent need to speak with my father. Could you point me in his direction?" Shunsui said politely.

"Hai, Kyouraku-sama, you're father is in his study."

"Thank you." Shunsui walked the familiar path to his father's personal study. He stood outside of the door smiling to himself and thinking back to times when he was younger. Usually when Shunsui stood outside of these doors, it was because he had gotten into some sort of trouble and had needed "a stern talking to" as his father liked to put it. Countless hours were spent behind those doors being lectured at in his younger years, before he had entered the academy. He was rather amused by the fact that he was going to have yet another serious conversation with his father in that study. Even though Shunsui was happy that he wasn't the topic of conversation this time around, he didn't look forward to the one he was going to have with his father.

Shunsui knocked and heard the friendly voice of his father on the other side.

"Shunsui, my son! What a surprise! I'm glad to see you but what brings you here? It isn't often you visit your father unannounced."

Shunsui gave him a smile and sat his straw hat on a small table near the door. "How about we discuss the reason I've come so unexpectedly over a nice cup of sake?"

"Haha, that is so like you, Shunsui. But, I did just pick up this bottle in town, nicely aged."

"Sounds lovely." Shunsui said as he sat himself in one of the chairs as his father poured them both a cup.

"How is Saya? Is she enjoying the academy? I still haven't gotten used to her not being here. She was here everyday for twenty years; I rather enjoyed her presence in the household."

"Hmm, Saya is actually the reason I came to visit." Shunsui said while taking a cup from his father.

"Is she alright?" Daisuke asked, his tone turning into that of a worried father's.

"Yes, Imouto is actually very well. It's just that she had a rather interesting sparring match with a classmate today."

"Oh? What was so interesting about it?"

"Well…" Shunsui started but wasn't sure how much detail he should give his father. He was already uneasy about her joining the shinigami academy. The last thing Shunsui wanted was to cause him to worry more. But he also needed to know what was going on with his daughter. "Her fighting style was rather unique. During her training sessions with Kaien and Ikkaku, she never fought the way she did today. I can't put one particular style on it. Part shinigami, part assassin, maybe someone from the stealth force? I just don't know. It was like she transformed into a completely different person. Someone with a cold and ruthless nature, not the sweet Saya we are familiar with. But what I saw today got me to thinking…"

"I know where you're going with this, Shunsui; but no one ever claimed her. No one from the noble or aristocratic families claimed to know her. We tried to find out anything we could about her, but we never got very far. There was never anything that we could find and with her memory gone, she wasn't able to give us any clues either. The only thing she had was the necklace with her name. Did Saya really fight like that? An assassin you said? What else did she do?"

"She humiliated her classmate, granted he did attack her pride; but her reaction was uncalled for."

Daisuke frowned slightly at hearing the vague answer that Shunsui had given him. He didn't frown at the fact that it was so indistinct; it was that Saya had behaved poorly. "Did she apologize for it?"

"Hai. It took her a little while to do so, but she did in the end."

"That's good at least." Daisuke said, wondering how his amiable daughter could act out in such a manner.

"Father, is there anything that you remember from the night you found her? Did she have any specialized clothing on? Did you see anyone suspicious around? Any clues would be useful."

"She was completely blacked out and covered with blood when I found her. No one was around and she wore a normal looking kimono."

"Hhmmm…" Shunsui took a long sip of his sake and let it roll around on his tongue. _This may prove to be more difficult than I originally had anticipated._

"Shunsui, are you going to try and find out where she's from?"

"I think she deserves to know. Lately, she's been having memories come back to her; and not all of them good. She dreamt about the night that she was attacked. All she said was that she felt like the person who attacked her was someone that she deeply trusted. She didn't know who it was though. But it frightened her bad enough; Saya clung to me for the rest of the night and was always afraid of her opponent during any sword fighting exercises. Well, with today being the exception."

Daisuke frowned then looked at Shunsui with a very serious face. "I don't like hearing these sorts of things about my daughter. I'm sure her attack had to be a traumatic experience for her. I'm glad that some memories are coming back to her, but to be honest, I always hoped that night would never be remembered." Daisuke sighed a little as he took a sip from his cup. "Shunsui, I gave up looking for her past a long time ago. She is our family now. She is my daughter. If she was connected to someone they would have claimed her long ago. Don't you think?"

"Father, I love Saya very much and have felt like she was my Imouto since the day I met her. But I think we need to figure out what happened to her that night and why. What if it was not some random attack like we have believed for so long? Anyway, I need to get back, it's late. I'm sure an old man like you needs his beauty sleep." Shunsui drank the rest of his sake in one gulp, then stood up and started towards the door.

"Shunsui," Daisuke said while still sitting. He didn't look at his son but Shunsui knew there was a serious look plastered on his face. It was evident from the tone of voice he used. "There is something I'm keeping from you. I've never told anyone this, but your sister, the night that I found her there was one thing she said a few times. She was completely out of it though, delirious from her injuries and blood loss."

Shunsui turned to look at his father who was still sitting in his chair with his back turned towards his son.

"She said, 'Oto-san (father) please! Oto-san! Oto-san!' I never knew what she meant by it. She kept calling out for his help. But when no father came for her, I figured he was probably dead. Being a father myself, hearing her say that broke my heart."

Shunsui's face softened and turned into a smile when he heard what his father said. He turned and opened the door to let himself out, "Thank you, Father. I think that will help."

"Oh and Shunsui, tell Saya that I love her and miss her."

"Will do." With that Shunsui left his father's manor and started back to the Sereitei._ Who is this Oto-san that Saya was calling out for? Is he alive or dead like father thinks? So many questions, but will I find any answers to them? Hmmm… I wonder how long has it been since I've paid Soifon-taicho a visit? I'm sure she would love to see me first thing in the morning._

* * *

Around 3:00 p.m. the next day, Shunsui finally started out for the second division. He had already been late arriving to work that morning because he had decided it was a good day to sleep in. Then he took lunch shortly after arriving, as it was time to eat. After that he decided it was time for his midday nap. But now it was late afternoon, and time to visit Soifon-taicho in her division was becoming short. He smiled to himself as he sauntered his way over to talk to the petite taicho with the hefty attitude.

_It seems most likely that Saya was in the stealth force. They cover their faces so they wouldn't be easily recognizable to anyone who would see them in the rare occasion that they take off their masks. When Saya was found, it was around the time of a lot of disruption within the protection squads. Losing a regular member of a squad might not have been given any great attention because of everything else going on at that time._

Upon entering her office, Soifon looked anything but pleased with the uninvited Kyouraku standing before her.

"Ne, Soifon-taicho, what is with that look? Pretty women like you shouldn't scowl, it does nothing for your beauty." Shunsui could see the outline of a vein start to form on her forehead.

"Can I help you, Kyouraku-taicho?"

"Yes, I have a few questions I'm hoping you can answer."

"Very well."

"I was wondering if any members of your squad went missing approximately twenty years ago?"

Soifon lifted her brow. Twenty years ago was when…

"Not that I know of, besides the obvious. There was a lot of confusion at that time, but I never heard any reports of any squad member that had gone missing."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Why are you asking?" Soifon asked, her already short patience clearly waning.

"My sister, Saya, fought in a very interesting manner yesterday with one of her classmates. She reminded me of someone who might have been trained in the second squad."

Soifon's curiousity was peaked by this statement. As far as she knew, she had never seen Saya before Shunsui had brought her to the second division several months ago. Until that time, she had never seen her face or felt her spiritual pressure.

"You see, Soifon-taicho, I was thinking that perhaps she might have been in your guard. The stealth squad always covers their faces and maybe the reason she wasn't recognized was because you had never…"

But Shunsui found himself cut off by the small woman. "No, Kyouraku-taicho. Even though the stealth squad covers their identity in public, we all know each other's faces. It is to signify the trust and bond between the members. I would have seen Saya's face had she been a member of the stealth squad and would have recognized her then. Furthermore, if a squad member goes missing a thorough investigation is held in order to ascertain what the cause was for their disappearance. I know that no inquiry was performed twenty years ago. I'm sorry I cannot help you." She finished.

Shunsui looked at Siofon with a small smile on his face, "No, Soifon-san, you already helped me. Thank you."

Shunsui left the division with a mixture of feelings. One, he had been able to ascertain that Saya was not a part of the stealth force. On the other hand, he did not seem any closer to uncovering her true identity.

_Hmmm… perhaps the public archives should be my next venture. I won't be able to go through all of those records by myself though. I'll need some reinforcement. And who better to help me than my good friend, Ukitake? _Shunsui thought to himself as a smile made its way onto his face. _He's just as curious about Saya as I am. He'll want to know what's going on as well. Even if he wasn't interested, he won't say no to his best friend._

"Juuuuuuuuushirooooooo!" Shunsui sang as he stepped inside his friend's offices.

Juushiro looked up from his work with a slight smile on his face, happy for the distraction that was presenting itself. Little did he know the distraction planned on giving him extra work.

"What can I help you with Shunsui?"

"Saya." Shunsui said wearing a smile.

Juushiro raised an eyebrow. "How did you know that she came to visit me last night? I thought no one had seen. She needs to be more careful."

Shunsui's smile turned into a smirk. "I didn't know that she was here last night, you just told me. It seems like you're the one who needs to be more careful, Juushiro. What was she doing here anyway?"

Juushiro turned a light shade of pink. He cleared his throat a little before speaking. "She was feeling bad about what happened between her and Morimoto-san. She also was having a hard time thinking that you were disappointed in her. I just tried to cheer her up a little bit. Anyway, how can I help you with Saya?" Juushiro said, hoping that Shunsui wouldn't want to ask too many more questions about Saya's visit.

"Well, I want to find out where's she from." Shunsui said with a light sort of tone about him, going back to that sing-song sort of voice from when he first stepped in.

"I figured as much. What have you found out so far?"

"Well my father said that she was calling out for her Oto-san when he found her and that she's not from the second division stealth squad." Shunsui said.

Juushiro waited a few moments. "And?"

"Well, that's all for today. I have a feeling just asking around isn't going to get us very far." Shunsui said while he started examining his fingernails.

Juushiro just watched his friend in amusement. Shunsui looked up at him with a pouty sort of face.

"You're not being much fun, Juushiro."

"I'm just waiting to hear what you have to say is all, Shunsui. I'm sure whatever it is has the possibility of two outcomes. One, I'll be spending my time looking through dusty old archives. Or two, I'll be spending my time getting us out of whatever trouble you get us into."

Shunsui had a delighted smirk on his face after Juushiro had finished his statement.

"You know me too well, Juushiro."

"Well, people tend to do that when they've been friends for a few dozen centuries." Ukitake said jokingly. "But no seriously, which is it?"

"Well, I haven't thought up of any scheme…"

_Thank goodness_, Juushiro thought to himself.

"… So I guess it's the archives."

Juushiro sighed in apprehension at the anticipation of the tedious task that lay before him. "Where should we start?"

Shunsui shrugged a little, "Missing persons resports?"

"Alright, but you owe me some umeboshi-ochazuke."

"Of course." Shunsui said with a smile. It was Juushiro's favorite thing to eat and Shunsui had seen him eat large amounts of it many occasions, especially back in their academy days when it was served in abundance in the mess hall. Shunsui also knew that Saya absolutely detested the snack made out of left over rice andpickled sour plums, which were soaked in hot tea. The face she made when she had first tried it was priceless and she immediately spit it out and downed some green tea to rid herself of the taste. Shunsui wanted to be there the first time Juushiro offered her some, just to see how she would handle the situation.

The two captains left the thirteenth division and started on their way towards the Hall of Records, which was located near the first division. It was that building that held information on any report, claim, or incident that occurred in the Sereitei and, surprisingly, most of Rukongai. Any information not in the Hall of Records, meaning it was top secret and not open to the public, was kept in the Restricted Information Branch located within Central 46. Most likely, any information to be found on Saya, would be located within the Hall of Records.

Juushiro was busy thinking about what Shunsui had told him. _Saya was calling out to her oto-san? Calling for help? I guess it's natural that a young girl would cry out to her father for aid. But something about it doesn't seem quite right. Why has no father ever come for her then? Perhaps he is dead?_

His thoughts were interrupted when his and Shunsui's paths crossed with Aizen and Gin's.

"Good day, Aizen-taicho, Ichimaru-fukutaicho." Juushiro said with a slight bow to the men.

"Good day to you both as well." Aizen said back. "It looks like you two are headed somewhere important. I didn't miss a message about an emergency meeting or anything, did I?"

"No, we're just on our way to the public archives." Shunsui answered.

"Oh? What for, if you don't mind my asking that is." Aizen said.

"Not at all, Aizen-san. I'm having Juushiro here help me with some research. I'm trying to find out more about my sister." Shunsui answered.

"Oh yes. Her style of fighting was quite interesting, to say the least. I didn't quite know what to think of it myself. Has she ever fought like that before? It seemed quite advanced for someone at her level." Aizen said, appearing a little confused about what he had witnessed yesterday.

"That's the thing, she's never fought like that before. So in order to satiate my curiosity, I'm trying to find out what I can about Saya's past."

"Well, good luck. I'm sure you'll come up with something." Aizen said as he smiled and then gave them another quick bow. "Please let me know if Gin or I could be of any use to you." He said as he began to walk off.

Once out of earshot, Ichimaru decided to speak to his captain. "It seems like big brotha' is all curious 'bout Saya-chan's past with that little stunt she pulled yes'taday. What do ya think, Taicho?" Gin said with his smile.

"It's only natural to be curious about one's family member when they can perform like _that_. But I seriously doubt they'll find out anything they don't already know." Aizen said with his smirk. "It's nothing to worry about."

* * *

Shunsui and Juushiro looked up at the walls and mountains of record books, folders, reports, and miscellaneous information before them. The sight would be considered awe-worthy if one didn't have the daunting task of looking through all the papers it held. The two friends looked at each other with raised brows.

"Are you sure you haven't thought of some scheme to find out where she's from, Shunsui?" Juushiro asked again while looking at a particularly musty stack of books. He was starting to think that some ridiculous ruse might be better than all the reading, searching, and paper cuts that lay before him.

"Nope." Shunsui said quickly and in his light tone. "I thought that you would be just as curious as I am, Juushiro? Are you not intrigued by Saya's past? You watched her train more than I and I'm willing to bet all of next month's sake ration that you never saw her move like that before."

"I am curious, Shunsui. And you're right; she never fought in that style before. In fact, she spent more time being afraid of Ikkaku-san's sword. But have _we_ not seen the style before? It seems vaguely familiar, doesn't it?"

"I can't place it." Shunsui said, "But perhaps from a long time ago. When you've lived as long as we, Juushiro, the memories start to go fuzzy."

"We're not that old, Shunsui."

"Oh, Saya making you feel younger than you are again? Cradle robber." Shunsui said with a wink

"I am NOT robbing the cradle, Shunsui." Juushiro said while trying to act offended at his friend's comment, but he couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing. "Besides, you had better be careful with what you say and around whom," Juushiro said growing a little more serious as he scanned the area, "Captains and students aren't allowed to be involved. If someone were to hear your comments and report them, Saya would be in a lot of trouble, a lot more than me."

Shunsui smiled a little in amusement but knew his friend was right, "Alright, I'll watch myself now that she's in academy." He said in a low voice. "Let's begin, shall we?"

"Missing persons?" Juushiro asked.

"Missing persons." Shunsui repeated.

They wound their way through the hundreds of stacks and shelves and finally reached their destination.

"On the bright side, Juushiro, we'll only need to look at information from twenty years ago. I doubt anyone would wait longer than to file a missing person report."

Juushiro nodded as he walked up to the attendant at the counter.

"Hello, I am Ukitake-taicho of the thirteenth division and my colleague here is Kyouraku-taicho of the eighth division…"

"What can I help you with?" The older woman cut in. She was short, slightly chubby, and nothing but frumpy in her clothes. Her hair was rather curly and looked like a poodle-puff sitting atop her head. It was clearly dyed that hideous red color that actually matched the red tint she used on her lips. She looked rather bored, not to mention like taking a few moments to introduce oneself was a waste of time. The fact that she was chewing, with an open mouth, on mastiche resin and peering at Juushiro over her thick horn-rimmed glasses didn't seem to help either.

"We would like all the files from twenty years ago that reported a female as missing, between the ages of 16 and 25 in human years."

The woman cocked an eyebrow, "_ALL_ of them?" She asked while smacking on the resin.

"Yes and thank you so much. We know it's a lot of trouble to pull you from your important duties to fetch us some files, but we really would appreciate your help. Besides, it gives us that much longer to be in the presence of your beauty and grace." Shunsui spoke up in an attempt to charm the older woman. He could feel an argument of some sort starting; most likely with the words, "That's a lot of files…"

This seemed to work though and the older, _interesting_ looking woman began to shuffle around to locate the missing persons files.

"That was pretty smooth, Shunsui." Juushiro said while he wondered how many non-attractive women had been told by Shunsui that they were beautiful in order to get something he wanted. _Too many to count, I'm sure._ He thought to himself with a chuckle.

Shunsui smiled. "I know what you're thinking."

"What would that be?"

"Too many to count, Juushiro."

At that moment, a huge pile of file folders was slammed down in front of them. It had to be 3 feet tall and the two captains were wondering how such a small woman managed to carry it without the stack toppling over.

"Uh, thank you," Juushiro said, "We'll take these from here."

"Wait a minute there young man, these are just reports from the first six months. I'll still need to bring you the reports from the end of the year as well."

Juushiro and Shunsui exchanged anxious looks.

"When did your father find Saya, Shunsui?" Juushiro asked, hoping to narrow it down."

"In June, right in the middle of the year."

"I thought so. And we have no idea if she was missing before then, do we?"

"Nope. She could have been missing for months before father found her."

"So a report could have been filed during the first part of the year if she was missing before her attack, or during the second part of the year after her attack."

Shunsui nodded. "Excuse me ma'am, what is the average time frame that someone will file a missing persons report?"

"Well, some people do it within a week, and others wait months, but rarely anybody waits years to file a missing person claim. However, we do have this one man who has been filing a missing persons claim every month for 50 years. Poor old man, he said his son just disappeared one day and has been looking for him ever since."

Shunsui gave the woman a small smile, "Thank you. We'll take that other stack too." Then he turned his attention towards Juushiro, "We'll have to look through the entire year, a claim could have been filed at any time."

Juushiro nodded and picked up the first stack and took it over to a long wooden table with semi-comfortable looking seating. A few minutes later, Shunsui joined him with another stack that looked at least a foot taller than the first. Without saying a word to each other, the two friends took a folder from the top of each pile and flipped it open. Shunsui stole a quick glance at Juushiro who was already engrossed in the information he was reading.

_Thank you, old friend._ Shunsui thought as he looked back down at his own file.

* * *

Juushiro was unsure how much time had actually passed when looked up from the file he had just finished reading. He didn't know what number he was on, since he stopped counting once he hit 300. Meals had been eaten at the table they were sitting at and they mainly only rested during breaks to the bathroom. He looked around and noticed that no one was in the building, most likely it was the middle of the night and any sane person would be sleeping right now. His gaze fell on his friend in the pink kimono. Juushiro chuckled to himself when he saw Shunsui fast asleep and drooling on a stack of papers that acted as his pillow. It had been at least two days since they first started their "quest for information" as Shunsui had put it in an attempt to make report reading sound more interesting.

Juushiro squeezed his eyes shut and then blinked them several times in an attempt to chase away the heavy feeling his lids held. _Ten more,_ he thought, _then I'll call it a night._ He reached for another file and flipped it open. _Nope, not her._ After going looking at so many, Juushiro was able to quickly spot the key points that would automatically rule someone out. For one, hair and eye color were always mentioned, if it said anything other than "blonde" Juushiro shut it and went to the next one. He was actually surprised by how many blondes had been reported missing, he didn't recall seeing that hair color much in the Sereitei or Rukongai. He picked up another one. _Blonde hair, brown eyes, nope._ It was the tenth one that actually had some information in it.

**Person filing report: **Kyouraku Daisuke

**Name of Missing Person: _Family name: _**unknown

**_ Given name: _**Saya (?)

**Reason for filing:** I found a young girl on the street. She was unconscious and looked like she had been attacked badly. She has blonde hair, blue eyes, tall for a female. She wore a necklace with a charm that said "Saya." She has not woken up from her attack and therefore, we are not able to gain any information about her family.

Juushiro then turned his attention to the medical report that accompanied the report Kyouraku-sama had written.

**General Overview and Findings:** Physician responded to a summons by Lord Kyouraku. Kyouraku Daisuke-sama found a young girl unconscions in an alley by his home. He reported that she was lying in a pool of her own blood and was barely breathing when he came across her. Upon seeing her injuries and the fact that she was alive, he carried her to his house and called for immediate medical attention.

Cleaning and dressing the wounds took priority, but when the patient was felt to be out of any immediate danger, a thorough examination was completed. The patient is a young female, thought to be between the ages of 17-23 in human years, 550-820 in soul years. The patient had sustained severe wounds to the chest, abdomen, and cranium. The most severe wound was estimated to be approximately 2 milimeters to the left of her heart and the exit wound just below her left shoulder blade. The patient had a deep cut running from just below her sternum to her navel and finally a gash that ran from below her right 12th rib across and down to the left hip. The patient also sustained a blow to the right frontotemporal lobe. Scrapes and bruises on the right and left knees, palms of both hands. Lacerations found on the forearm and elbow of the right appendage, most likely caused by falling when attacked. She suffered a severe amount of blood loss due to her injuries. If she is able to gain consciousness, she will most likely experience memory loss due to her brain injury. Recovery process will most likely take years. No signs of sexual assault; hymen still present and no evidence of bruising or injury to pelvic region.

Name unknown at this time, but Kyouraku-sama has started calling her "Saya" because of a charm found on her necklace. Will follow up for medical care.

Dr. Suzuki.

Juushiro read over the summary of her injuries over and over, not quite sure what to think. He was appalled by the severity of the attack that Saya had sustained. The girl he knew was agreeable and good-natured. Surely she didn't deserve to be so brutally attacked, not that anyone deserved it. It shocked him when he realized that he had never stopped to think about how severe Saya's attack would have been to cause her to be unconscious for so long, and then to have such a serious memory loss. _She's lucky to be alive by the sound of this report. The Physician wasn't even sure if she would wake up. I guess not many people would._ Juushiro fixed his gaze back to Shunsui but his thoughts were still on Saya. _She must be rather resilient to deal with all of this. She wakes up not knowing even herself, no biological family has ever laid claim to her and yet with the way she behaves you would think that nothing this hideous had ever happened to her._

"Shunsui, wake up. I've found something…. Shunsui!" Juushiro said as he swatted at his friend.

Shunsui snorted a little and rubbed his eyes, "Huh? Did you find something, Juushiro?" He sat up as Juushiro slid the report over to him. Shunsui's brow furrowed as he read through the information. He flipped through the a few more pages, but none of it provided them with new information. Shunsui frowned as he dropped the file back on the table. He just stared at it for a few minutes.

"Let's head to bed Juushiro. I don't think there's anything more here. Thank you for your help."

"Shunsui, did you know how bad it was?" Juushiro asked.

Shunsui only shook his head. He got up and started walking towards the exit. Juushiro had a sad smile on his face as he watched his friend's back grow smaller the farther he got. _It only makes sense he would be more upset by it than I am; he's her brother._

* * *

"Ojii-san! We don't want to wear this stupid headdress!" A young blonde-haired child complained to her grandfather.

"Now Saya, it is time that you learn to behave like one in your position should. We will not have our granddaughter gallivanting around like some heathen child. It is tradition that you wear it. We've already let you go far too long without it."

"But Ojii-san, it covers our face!"

"It is supposed to cover your face."

"But Ojii-saaaaaaaaaaaan… We don't…"

"ENOUGH! We will not hear of any more complaints. It is time you learn to behave and act as you should. When I ask you to do something, the correct answer is 'hai.' Don't give us _that_ look, Saya; it is misplaced. Now it is time for your walking lessons, remember no slouching. Work hard and make us proud."

"Hai, Ojii-san."

Saya opened her eyes to a dim dorm room and stared out into the darkness.

_"Hanryo?"_

_"Yes, Saya-sama?"_

_"Who was that man in my dream?"_

_"You don't know? That was your ojii-san. You called him that, did you not?"_

_"Yes but… why was he making me wear a headdress and learn to walk?"_

_"Your face is supposed to be covered at all times, Saya-sama. Starting at the age of five years in human time."_

_"Why?"_

_"It is better if no one knows your true identity, Saya-sama."_

_"I don't understand. Hundreds of people see my face everyday."_

_"It didn't use to be that way. It shouldn't be that way now."_

_"Hanryo… why are you not telling me what I want to know?"_

_"I am answering your questions, Saya-sama."_

_"You know what I mean! You are still keeping things from me! Tell me who that man was!"_

_"Your ojii-san."_

_"Hanryo!"_

_"I know what you want, Saya-sama. But it is as I said before; I cannot give you that information until you are strong enough to handle it. You cannot do anything about it at this point. You can't even hear my name."_

Saya sighed and shut her eyes in an attempt to keep the tears trapped behind them, but to no avail. Her tears made their escape and ran down her face. She rolled over and buried her head in her pillow.

_"I just want to know who I am."_

_"You are who you are Saya. Knowing the past does not change the person you are at this moment. Don't worry so much. You have people who love and protect you, be happy."_

Saya didn't respond for the longest time. _"Did I ever get used to the ugly headdress?"_

_"Hai, Saya-sama."_

_"Did I like it?"_

_"No, Saya-sama."_

_"Did I ever take it off, you know, when I wasn't supposed to?"_

_"Yes. There were occasions when you allowed your face to be seen when it should have been covered."_

_"Who did I let see my face?"_

_"… Your father and a former captain of the Gotei 13."_

_"My father wasn't allowed to see my face? That's odd. Who is he?"_

_"… You don't really know him, Saya."_

Saya could tell by the way her zanpakuto answered her that he was hiding something. _"Very well. What about the captain? Is it that blonde one I keep dreaming about?"_

_"Hai."_

_"Hmm… when will this start coming together for me, Hanryo?"_

_"When you get stronger, Saya-sama."_

_"I thought you'd say that. I think I might scream."_

_"You'd wake Hiami-san."_ Hanryo said in a sing-song voice.

Saya took a deep breath and seriously thought about screaming anyway, just to vent her frustration but decided against it.

_"Go back to sleep Saya-sama. You have a full day ahead of you."_

* * *

**Author's Note:** ...Okay, I was didn't like this chapter in its first draft and so I was sitting on it for awhile... but thanks to the help of firewaterearthwind and SorryCharlie, I was able to rewrite it to the point where I was satisfied enough with it to post. So I hope that you all enjoyed it! This was definitely a more Shunsui-centric chapter, and it was difficult to keep him in character for such a long period of time, but I hope I was semi-successful at least.

I would like to thank: DaydreamerMagby, Fefisgbf13, Germanbubbles, firewaterearthwind, rukia23, SheDevil85, Sorry Charlie, Kate 1221 (who posted a comment for the first chapter), and my cousin, whose email I posted XD. Again, I always try to respond to any reviews that are posted. I appreciate you taking the time to review, please take that time now :-).


	22. Chapter 22: I Know You

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to BLEACH

* * *

Saya glared daggers at her Aniki, while his face held a confident smile as he shook his head at his sister.

"I told you, it's no use Saya. I'm stronger and faster than you. It will take another thousand years before you get to my level."

"And I told you not to underestimate my abilities, Shunsui."

"I don't, I just know that your abilities won't hold up to my own."

"Fine, we'll see who wins in the end."

Saya readied herself and steadied the battle instruments in her hand. Shunsui barely moved but his smirk only grew wider.

"Saya-chan has been in the academy for a year and a half and now thinks she's at the level of her brother? Do you honestly think you will win, Imouto?"

"I don't think, I know." Saya said in a cold voice.

"There's a fine line between confidence and arrogance, Imo-chan. You've crossed into the latter."

"We'll see about that. Ready yourself, Shunsui-nii, I won't go easy on you."

Saya made the first move to strike, but in less than a second her target was out of site. She looked up to see the last piece of unagi nigiri being held by Shunsui's chopsticks. Saya then looked at the empty and pitiful looking chopsticks in her own hand.

"Shunsui, I said that I wanted the last piece of unagi." Saya whined in her defeat.

"I claimed it before you did, Saya-chan."

"You did no such thing!"

"You'll get over it." Shunsui said as he popped the delicious looking morsel into his mouth. Saya thought that she might throw a fit, but instead she plopped back into her chair and crossed her arms over her chest and pouted.

"That's enough you two." Daisuke said as he took a drink of sake. "Saya, you have to go back to the academy tomorrow, I'd like our last night together to be a peaceful one. Besides Saya, where are your manners? It seems like they only come out for guests anymore."

"Blame Shunsui, he started it."

"I did not."

"CHILDREN!" Daisuke raised his voice to which both Shunsui and Saya bowed their heads and looked at their hands. The two siblings shot each other looks from across the table and had to try their hardest not to laugh.

Daisuke took a deep breath trying to calm himself before speaking again, "Why is it that you have to return to the academy early from winter break, Saya-chan?"

"We're going on a dummy hollow mission in the real world. It's only a few days early, father. That way, we'll back in time for classes to start." Saya replied, hoping that her tone sounded polite enough for her father.

Daisuke nodded his head. "Are any captains going, Shunsui?"

"Yes, myself and Ukitake will be accompanying the students."

"What time do you have to be back at the academy to be ready to leave?"

"Sunrise." Shunsui and Saya answered together.

"Be careful, the both of you."

* * *

Saya looked at the sleeping figure of her brother as he lay on his bed. An devilish grin found its way onto her face as she crept ever so silently next to his bedside. She got ready to strike.

_"You probably shouldn't do this, Saya-sama."_

_"I'll be fine. Okay, on the count of three. One… Two… Three!"_

Saya jumped and started to fall towards her brother's sleeping figure, landing hard on top of him only a second later.

Shunsui made an interesting sort of noise as all the air left his lungs and her elbow made contact with his gut. He grabbed her arm and twisted her around and off of him, he quickily position himself so that she couldn't move beneath his weight. At this point, Saya found herself pinned down with her face buried in a pillow, her arm twisted in a somewhat painful position behind her back.

"Imo-chan, what was that for? Is that any way to greet your brother on this fine morning?" Shunsui teased.

"HmmMUHahhealfdhd!"

"What was that, Saya-chan?"

Saya struggled enough to where she could get her head away from the suffocating pillow. She was gasping a little for air. "I said, I'm sorry Aniki! I won't do it again and please let me go because this hurts."

Shunsui laughed as he let go of Saya's arm and helped her off the bed. Then he gave her a hug and a kiss on the top of her head.

"Good morning, Saya-chan."

"Good morning, Aniki."

"See, was that so hard?'' Shunsui said with a wink. "Let's get going. We'll grab a small breakfast before we head out. Did you remember to pack everything you needed?"

"Yes, I have dried fruits, some nuts, water, first aid materials and an extra uniform."

"Good, that should be enough since we'll only be gone for the day."

Shunsui led his sister down to the kitchen where they grabbed some bananas and bread to eat for breakfast. They wrapped themselves in heavy quilted outer kimonos before they started back to the Sereitei.

Shunsui could feel his sister's excitement by the jitteriness in her reitsu. He remembered his first time that he went to the material world, it had looked so different from the Sereitei and Rukongai. He was sure it was still like that, always a shock for the students who had never seen it before. Other students who had died and then come to the academy were never as surprised as those born in the soul society, which made sense, but amused him all the same.

"Excited, Imo-chan?"

"Hai Aniki, I've never been to the real world before."

"Father does have his own gate to the real world on his manor grounds, you never used it?"

"No Aniki, father always said I wasn't allowed."

"Well, you're in for a surprise then, Imo-chan. The real world is very different from the Soul Society. But I'm afraid we won't have much time for site seeing. We'll just be going for our hollow exercise. It's important you stay within the barrier that's been set up, okay?"

"Hai Aniki."

"You'll do fine, Saya. Your skills are coming along nicely. Oh, I see the Senkei gate now."

The pair joined the rest of Saya's classmates, some sixth year students, and Ukitake.

"Are we late, Aniki?" Saya asked but then Juushiro's voice boomed over the noise the students were making so that he could be heard.

"Good, it looks like we're all here. When we reach the material world, we will split you up into groups of three that will be accompanied by a senior student. Each group will have a section to patrol. Remember to stay within the barrier at all times. Even though these are dummy hollows, you still have a chance of being seriously injured if you are not careful and if you don't work as a team. The gate is opened and the hell butterflies are here to lead us, let's go."

Saya quickened her step to catch up with her friends who were near the front of the group of students.

"Hey there, Saya-san." Midori said in a chipper voice. "I'm so excited! I only wish that Aizen-taicho was here too."

Saya rolled her eyes a little and smiled at her friend. "I just hope that we're in the same group. I feel more comfortable with people I know."

"They might try to split up friends, so that we form a stronger bond with our classmates and learn to trust those outside of the intimate circles we've created within ourselves." Miroku pointed out. Saya realized that he was right, but still hoped that she would placed with one of her friends anyway.

Saya looked around as the group entered and starting walking through the passage to the real world. It was so dark and cold feeling. The walls were rocky and so high that their tops were lost in the darkness above. Saya knew she shouldn't be scared, but she disliked the creepy feeling the passage gave her. She was happy to see the light at the end of the tunnel that indicated their arrival into the material world.

Saya landed on the frozen grass beneath her feet and the first thing that hit her was the crisp feeling of the air circling around her. It was winter in the material world just like in the Soul Society and Saya was happy for the heavier wool uniform that covered her body. She looked up and saw that snow was falling from the sky, blanketing the ground with a fresh layer of white flakes. Stealing a glance at Juushiro, she saw how the snow seem to disappear into his hair when it landed on his head.

"Where are we anyway?" Saya asked, realizing she didn't know where she was.

"The western part of a city called Tokyo in the country of Japan." Hideki answered. "This specific region is named Karakura Town."

"I see." Saya said.

"Alright, is everybody with us?" Juushiro waited for a few moments as he counted heads. "Good. We will now break you up into your groups. Each group will have one of the older students as a member to help guide you through this exercise. Kyouraku-taicho and I will be moving throughout the groups to help when needed and to observe the skills you've developed over this last year and half at academy.

"The best way to take down your enemy will be to surround it and attack from different angles. Try to move as one entity versus individual members. Kyouraku-taicho, will you please break the students up into groups?"

"Hai, alright… Let's see here… Where did I put that paper?" Shunsui said as he started feeling around in his kimono. "Oh! Here it is! Alright, find your group members when I call out your name. Group one…."

As Shunsui listed off the names in each group, the students would gather together in their respective teams; huddling close together for the time being to stay warm while they waited for their orders. Saya was placed in a group with Midori, Morimoto Kenta, and a sixth year student by the name of Endo Yuuki. Saya wasn't too familiar with him but he seemed nice enough. Their team quickly moved to the outskirts of the city to begin the exercise.

* * *

"Morimoto-san, watch out!" Midori yelled as the hollow quickly appeared behind him.

Morimoto barely had time to roll out of the way before the hollow smashed a hole in the ground in the place that he had occupied not a second earlier. The group was getting tired as this was the tenth hollow that they had come up against. Each one was a little faster, stronger, and smarter than the previous. It was getting late in the afternoon and soon the exercise would be over so that they could go home.

"They weren't kidding when they said we could really get hurt by these dummy hollows!" Kenta yelled as he brought himself back into a fighting stance.

"Now isn't the time for that, Morimoto-san!" Endo Yuuki yelled out. "Remember what the captains said, surround him and attack him from various angles to weaken him before delivering the final blow."

"HAI!" The three younger students yelled in unison.

Saya and Midori flanked either side of the hollow while Kenta positioned himself behind it. The hollow seemed distracted and confused, not sure which shinigami to attack first.

"Hadou number four, Byakurai!" Saya yelled as white lightening escaped from the palm of her hand and hit the hollow on his right side. This seemed to anger the beast and give him a target at the same time; he turned toward Saya and swung at her. She did a back flip and gently landed a few yards farther away while still holding the hollow's attention on herself. Midori used the opportunity to slice the hollow's left leg off. Morimoto ended it by coming down on the hollow's mask from behind, effectively disintegrating him into nothing.

"Good job Morimoto-san! That was great finishing the hollow like that!" Saya said, almost forgetting that they still disliked each other in general, even though they had been civil to each other since that day on the Kidou grounds.

"Not bad yourself, Kyouraku. Hey, Midori, thanks for the warning. It would have gotten me if you hadn't yelled out."

"No problem, glad to help." She said as she smiled widely at Kenta.

"Good job, you guys. I'll go report to the captains that we're done with the exercise. Try to stay warm and snack on the fruit and nuts you brought with you. Stay here until I get back. There shouldn't be any more dummies coming, so don't worry. But don't let your guard down either."

"Hai, Endo-senpai." The three chorused together.

Saya sat down with her pack ready to pop some dried fruit and nuts into her mouth. She was feeling quite hungry after using so much spirit energy and was looking at her measly snack like it was a seven course meal.

"We made a good team, ne?" Midori asked as she popped some cashews into her mouth.

"Yeah, who knew we could all work together like that?" Morimoto said as he took a swig from his water jug.

But Saya wasn't really paying attention to her comrades. A familiar reitsu lay outside of the barrier. It peaked her curiosity. _Where have I felt that spiritual pressure before? I know it, but I can't think of who it belongs to._

"Saya-san, are you okay? You look like you're off in la-la-land." Midori said while giving Saya an odd look.

"Huh? Oh, yes… I'm fine. It's just that…" Saya stood up and looked past the barrier and into the town of Karakura. "I need to do something. I'll be back soon!" She said as she took off towards the barrier.

"KYOURAKU! What do you think you're doing? We were told to wait here!" Morimoto yelled at her.

"I know! I won't be long! I promise!" Saya got to the barrier. It was pretty strong, but somehow she managed to push her way through it. She followed the familiar reitsu throughout the town, trying to pinpoint its exact location. Saya couldn't help but let herself get distracted from time to time. The buildings were much taller than those in the Soul Society and the boxy metal objects that moved on wheels fascinated her. She noticed that they would only go when humans were inside to control them.

_"What an odd place, Hanryo."_

_"Hai, Saya-sama, the material world is much different from the one you live in."_

Saya continued to jump from rooftop to rooftop until she came to a small shop tucked into an out-of-the-way corner. There wasn't anything particularly special about this shop, it was the presence that Saya felt within it.

"Urahara Shoten." Saya said quietly to herself. "Urahara? That name… I know that name."

_"Are you sure you want to do this, Saya-sama?"_

_"Hai Hanryo, why wouldn't I? Besides, you're with me in case anything goes wrong."_

Saya walked through the door and into the main store room and looked around. At first glance, everything looked pretty normal. Bamboo lined the floor and wooden shelves made isle ways that held products for sale. Along with the normal sweets and candies one would find at any specialty store, Saya noticed that a lot of the products seemed to be for shinigami that would be staying in the material world for a long period of time.

"Soul candy?" Saya said curiously as she bent over the shelf to look at the contents. Then she heard a man speak with a jovial tone from behind her.

"Hello there honored customer. Welcome to my humble shop, what can I do for you?"

Saya's eyes widened when she heard the voice. _I know that voice! I hear it in my dreams all the time!_ She turned around slowly to face the man that had spoken. Before her she saw a man dressed in green hakama and kimono top with a darker green haori over top. He wore traditional wooden sandals on his feet and a green and white striped hat created a shadow that effectively covered his eyes. His blonde hair stuck out messily from beneath the cap.

The man's face went from a cheesy smile to an interested smirk when he saw the woman standing before him. They just stared at each other for a short time. It was Saya that broke the silence.

"I know you." She said. It was more of an accusation than a statement.

"Hello there, Ichijin-san, long time no see. I've missed our visits." He said as he brought a fan to cover his face and the friendly smile it held.

Saya's eyes widened and her entire body stiffened when she heard the name he used to address her. She had never told anyone about the name in her dreams. So this really was the man she dreamt about.

"How do you know me?"

"What do you mean, Ichijin-san? We spent many nights enjoying each other's company. How could you forget?"

Saya looked at the man, she could tell that behind his fan he wore a knowing smirk on his face. "I was attacked over twenty years ago. Because of that, I lost my memory. I don't remember most of my life before the attack. Only snippets here and there come back to me."

"Is that so?" The man's voice lost any hint of airiness and turned into a much more serious tone. He tucked his fan back into the waistband of his hakama and had a blank face as he stared at Saya.

"Hai. But I remember you. I have dreams about you. You're Urahara Kisuke, former captain of the twelfth divison. But I don't understand, what are you doing here in the material world? Why aren't you in the Soul Society? Surely Kurotsuchi-taicho is not more capable than you?"

Kisuke seemed to be amused by Saya's questions. "You don't know why? You must not remember." But then Urahara looked at the clothing Saya wore. "A student, Ichijin-san? You must have lost more than your memory when you were attacked if you're only a mere student. You've lost some of your power as well, I can tell by the strength of your spiritual pressure. The Ichijin I remembered was quite capable and powerful in her own right."

"You seem to be avoiding answering my questions. Why are you here, Urahara-taicho?" Saya asked, slightly annoyed.

"Ah, I'm not a taicho anymore. I've been exiled to this world for some of my inventions. Wow, Ichijin-san, you really have forgotten a lot if you don't know why I'm here. You tried to warn me, to make me stop with my creations. But I didn't listen." He said with his tone quickly changing from amused to serious.

"I'm not Ichijin anymore. Please, my name is Kyouraku Saya. But I'm sorry, Urahara-san. I don't know what you're talking about."

"Kyouraku, you say? As in Kyouraku Shunsui?" Urahara said as his tone returned to the chipper one Saya had first heard.

"Yes. I was adopted into the Kyouraku family after my attack and I lost my memory." _This is just like in my dreams. He dances around my questions; giving me answers that don't hold any information or completely avoids them altogether. I don't have much time and I'm not going to get anywhere with him acting like this._

"Well, I didn't think that you could be his wife. He doesn't seem like the marrying kind, besides, you're not his type anyway."

"Urahara-san, I have to ask you something. In my dreams, I always have my face covered, even my eyes are concealed behind a screen. How did you recognize my face?" Saya knew that she had revealed it to him at one point because of what Hanryo had told her, but she didn't know when or how many times.

A slight twinkle came to Urahara's eye. "Ahhh, Kyouraku-sama, I have only seen your face once before now; the night before I was exiled you came to me. You disguised yourself as an off-duty member of my squad. You told me that you were a new recruit and that you were nervous about being in the squad and felt like it might help if you could spend sometime with your new captain. It wasn't until you were about to leave that I asked your name. You said that I could call you 'Ichijin,' then you were gone. I even clearly remember the kimono you wore. It was a pretty pink one with silver and gold embroidery."

Saya knew the kimono he was talking about. She had seen it in her dream, the one where she was running for her life. "I know the one. I was attacked that night. It must have been after I left you."

Urahara's face fell into a serious look as he gazed at Saya.

"It wasn't you though, Urahara-san. I know it wasn't."

"No, Kyouraku-sama. I wasn't the one who attacked you that night. I didn't know that you were ever harmed until you informed me just now. I guess you wouldn't know anything about my being exiled then, would you?"

"No, I don't, didn't... don't. Do you know who it could have been?"

"Forgive me, but if I knew…"

"It's fine." Saya cut him off. She shifted her gaze to the ground but looked towards the doors of the shoten when she felt an angry reitsu searching her out.

"You had better go back to your Aniki, Kyouraku-sama. He doesn't seem too happy with you running off."

"Urahara-san, I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing? If anything I own you an apology. You were the one who warned me that my actions could hold major consequences, but I guess that's for another time. You're Aniki is waiting. Now go."

Saya wasn't sure why he felt he owed her an apology and she was confused by his last statemtn, but gave him a quick bow and then rushed out of the door and towards Shunsui. She could feel that he was angry at her for running off, but she wasn't sorry she did it. If she was sorry about anything, it was that she wasn't able to get more information out of him. _But I guess he's always been a little mysterious. He seems like the type that would tell me something important if I really needed to know; but I'm sure he keeps many details to himself. Hmm... the same as before._

* * *

Shunsui didn't think that he had ever been so angry with Saya. She had deliberately disobeyed orders and left the protective barrier. He knew that she was heading back his way, but still went to go and find her anyway. Being outside of the barrier, the likelihood of her drawing attention from real hollows increased exponentially. Furthermore, he was going to have to report her misconduct to Yama-jii. Shunsui knew that some punishment would be set for Saya's carelessness.

He landed on a roof and waited for Saya to join him. It didn't take long, but she met him there. Shunsui looked at her with his brow furrowed and Saya knew this wasn't the time to tell him what she found out. He didn't say anything to her, only turned around and Saya knew that she was to stay close and follow in case anything were to happen. Luckily, they got back to the barrier without any incidents.

Saya quickly spotted her teammates. Midori looked apologetic and Morimoto looked peeved. Endo-senpai looked like he was ready to rip Saya's head off.

"Let's go. You've kept the others waiting with your little adventure." Shunsui said to his sister.

Saya swallowed hard and continued to follow her brother. Midori came to her side, still wearing an apologetic look on her face. "I'm sorry, I tried to stall, but your brother knew that you had left. He told me that I shouldn't cover for you, even though you're my friend. I had to tell him, don't be mad at me, Saya-san."

"I'm not mad at you, Midori-san. Don't worry, it was my choice to disobey and I'll accept the consequences, whatever they may be." Saya whispered back to her friend.

* * *

Saya found herself in a very uncomfortable position. Usually, when she was in her brother's office it had been fun for her, this time the same thing could not be said. She had been sitting on the couch for about twenty minutes watching her brother pace back and forth in front of her. Every now and then he would stop, look at her with a blank expression and then continue pacing. Saya had never seen Shunsui like this before and wasn't able to read anything other than the fact that he was incredibly mad at her. She wanted to say something to him, but was afraid of what might happen if she spoke first. So she did what she always did in this situation, she fell back on her manners and what they told her to do. Right now, they were telling her to sit still with her hands folded and her head bowed in apology.

"Saya, that was incredibly irresponsible of you!" Shunsui finally said.

"I know, Aniki."

"You know? Do you realize how much danger you could have been in? What if a hollow had come after you while you were outside of the barrier?"

"Isn't that what academy is teaching us, Aniki? To know what to do when we confront a hollow?"

"Yes, but not after so little schooling, you're not ready to take on the real thing yet!" Shunsui responded. "And don't answer my question with a question."

"Yes, forgive me, Aniki-sama." Saya now using formal honorifics with her brother in an attempt to prove she was sorry.

"What on earth possessed you to leave the protection of the barrier?"

"I felt a familiar presence."

"What kind of excuse is that, Saya, when you could have…."

"No Aniki, please listen. I… I've been having these dreams and the former captain of the twelfth division is always in them. I felt him there in Karakura Town, that's why I left. I went to find him and I did."

Shunsui knew all too well the man she spoke of. He forgot that he was enraged with her at the moment and turned to look at her with a curious look in his eye. "Urahara Kisuke?"

"Hai." Saya told Shunsui about her encounter with Urahara along with all dreams she's had over the past couple years that included the former captain.

Shunsui sat quietly as Saya recounted her memories. Shunsui hadn't realized how many she had kept to herself, but at the same time, they seemed so mismatched and jumbled that it had to be hard to make sense of them all. He held his chin in his hand while he tried to process everything that Saya was telling him.

"So, what do you think, Aniki?" Saya asked with a little apprehension in her voice. She knew that she would still be in trouble, but was hoping that maybe he would go softer on her after hearing everything.

Shunsui met Saya's eyes. "I say your past is still a mystery, and you didn't have enough time to really find out any more information from Urahara-san. However, it sounds like, for the most part, you didn't reveal anything about your identity to him when you would go and visit his lab. You even gave him that alias. What was it again?"

"Ichijin."

"Yes. That's it." Shunsui thought for a little while longer. "I'll have to do some more digging. It might be impossible to get into the Restricted Information Branch of the Central 46, even for a captain. We do know that he didn't attack you that night, but it seems you knew of his inventions."

"Nii-sama, what did Urahara-san do to get exiled? He said that it was because of his creations that he was kicked out of Soul Society."

"It's a long story, but basically he was exiled for two dangerous inventions he made. One was an artificial body that actually "ate up" the reitsu of a soul reaper, effectively turning them into a regular human soul. It also was untraceable by the Soul Society. The other was an orb that would allow the user to merge the power of a shinigami and a hollow together."

"Gigai… I remember in one of my dreams asking him about that invention. He said he was "tweaking" it or something like that." Saya took a deep breath. _He hasn't said anything else about me being in trouble. Maybe I'm off the hook! Maybe he's preoccupied with this enough that I don't have to be punished!_ She thought.

"But Saya, I still have to report your misconduct to the Soutaicho. He is still the head of the Shinigami Academy."

Saya's face fell slightly. "Yes, nii-sama. I understand."

* * *

Shunsui had brought Saya in front of the Soutaicho so that she could receive her punishment. Ukitake was also there since he was one of the captains who had gone on the field training. He gave Saya a reassuring smile in an attempt to help calm her nerves. It didn't help, however, as Saya felt like she was about to heave.

Saya was fully aware that the Soutaicho was upset with her. She could tell as soon as she stepped into the room. It felt like Saya had to force her way through a gelatinous mold just to reach the center of the office because of the force of his reitsu. Hoping that would be the worst of it, Saya bowed low and kept her head down after she stood up. Her hands were folded behind her back. She realized how wrong she was when she felt the Soutaicho's reitsu force her down. Saya fell to her hands and knees and felt like a two ton sheet of concrete was crushing her back. Even the simple task of breathing became arduous. She hardly felt that she deserved this, but she was in no position to argue.

"Kyouraku Saya you have been brought before me because you deliberately disobeyed orders from a superior, left the protective barrier thus placing yourself and your fellow students in greater danger."

Saya listened to the soutaicho, but didn't understand why he said that she had endangered the other students; only she had left the barrier. Although it proved to be a laborious task, Saya was able to muster enough strength to address Yamamoto. "Forgive me Yamamoto-soutaicho, I don't understand how I placed anyone in danger other than myself." Saya immediately regretted saying anything. He raised his reitsu just the slightest but it caused Saya to fall so that her forearms were now supporting her and her head still hung low.

"By going through the barrier you effectively weakened it enough where other hollows could have been drawn to your classmates spiritual pressure. The hollows could have easily broken through a weakened barrier."

"Forgive me, Soutaicho, I didn't know. Had I known I would have never left the barrier."

"For what reason did you feel it was necessary to disobey direct orders and leave the boundaries set for you?"

"I'm sorry, Soutaicho, but any reason I had would not be good enough to excuse the poor decision I made earlier today. All I can really say is that my curiosity got the better of me and I felt the urge to explore the town beyond the boundaries that were given to us. My deepest apologies, Sir." Saya was hoping that her apologies were taking some effect and that the Soutaicho would draw back his spiritual pressure a little.

Yamamoto sat there quietly for several minutes while he debated about what Saya's punishment would be. She didn't deserve lashes, those were only given for the most extreme crimes. Extra schoolwork probably wouldn't bother her as she spent a lot of her free time honing her skills. He decided that her punishment should benefit others, since she had placed others in danger.

"Kyouraku Saya, your punishment will be served by helping the first year students who are falling behind in their Kidou performance. You are to spend an extra two hours after your classes at the Kidou grounds coaching those students who need extra guidance and help until the end of term. Understood?"

"Hai. Thank you, sir."

"You are dismissed."

Saya took a deep breath when he finally recoiled his reitsu. She had a little trouble standing up, but then bowed low again and exited the office. Once outside, Saya supported herself on the wall and took slow deep breaths.

"Are you alright, Kyouraku-san?" Ukitake asked.

Saya was a little disappointed that he had returned to using her family name, but understood that it was probably more appropriate for the situation. "Hai, just a little shaken up is all. Soutaicho's reitsu is quite overwhelming."

"Oh man, that wasn't half as bad as Juushiro and I got it when we planted that stink bomb in the teacher's lounge." Shunsui said.

"No, it was when we convinced Fujiwara-sensei that he had a flesh eating bacterial infection and he spent two days in the men's shower room trying to cleanse himself." Ukitake responded.

"Oh yeah, I had forgot about that one." Shunsui said while rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Anyway Saya, don't worry about it. Two hours isn't that bad, you'll still have plenty of time to spend on your own studies."

Saya just nodded. It didn't really sound like that horrible of a punishment to her, and how bad could the first years be anyway?

* * *

"WATCH OUT!" Saya screamed in warning to other students while she herself had to roll out of the way of a huge explosion.

"Oops, sorry Kyouraku-senpai." A first year student said while scratching the back of his neck. He looked about twelve in human years.

"Arata-kun, how did you manage to do that? I mean, your palm was facing forward, how did you manage to shoot the Shakkahou to the left so badly? It was like it didn't even come from your palm. How is that even possible?"

"Uh.. hehe.. I don't know Kyouraku-senpai." Arata said uncomfortably.

"You need to concentrate, Arata-kun, I almost lost my head! Oh! Dammit, the ends of my hair got singed." Saya said with an exasperated sigh and she looked at the burnt ends of her golden locks.

"I'm sorry. I'm horrible at this, I don't even know how I got into the academy." The boy said with such a defeated tone.

Saya looked at the young student and felt bad for him. She hadn't been able to help him in the month that she had been working with him. This didn't happen with any of the other students she had tutored, they all caught on rather quickly. But with Arata, she always returned to her dorm room with a new burn or some sort of odd injury. She just couldn't figure it out.

"Look, Arata-kun, you just need to have more confidence in your abilities. I know that you can do this. It's just that, uh, well you've been unsuccessful so many times that you've forgotten that you can actually do a good job."

Saya realized that her words probably weren't that uplifting after looking at the sour look on Arata's face.

"Okay… we'll try again. Come stand here at the line." Saya pulled him over, lifted his arm, and aimed his palm towards the target on the other side of the field. "Shoulders back, head up."

Saya took a look around to make sure the Kidou Grounds were in fact clear, she didn't want to have to take anyone to the fourth division again. Thankfully, everyone had enough wits about them to leave after Arata's last explosion.

"Okay, Arata-kun. I want you to yell 'I can do this!'"

"What?"

"What do you mean 'what?'" I said, I want you to yell 'I can do this!'"

"Icandothis." Arata said low and mumbled.

"It won't work if you do it that way! Scream it out! I CAN DO THIS!" Saya yelled with an arm outstretched.

"I can do this!"

"LOUDER!"

"IIIIII CAAAAAAAAAAAN DOOOOOOOOOOO THIIIIIIIIIIIIIIS!"

Saya had to keep herself from laughing but was glad Arata was following along.

"Now, scream, "I am the arm of justice! Those who stand against what is right will fall by my hand!"

"What?!"

"SCREAM IT!"

"I AM THE ARM OF JUSTICE! THOSE WHO STAND AGAINST WHAT IS RIGHT WILL FALL BY MY HAND!"

This time it was really hard for Saya not to laugh, she hadn't actually thought he would follow along and say such a stupid thing.

"Okay, now close your eyes, don't look at the target you know where it is. Say the incantation and let loose the cannon!"

"I command thee! Mask of meat, all creation, flutter, those that bare the name of man! Scorching heat and disturbances, split the seas and send surging waves South! Hadou number thirty-one, Shakkahou!"

Arata opened his eyes in time to see his kidou not only fire straight, but make it all the way to the target.

"Kyouraku-senpai! I did it!"

"Well done, Arata. See? You just had to get out of your head a little."

"I know our two hours are up, but could I stay a little longer to practice? I promise to clean when I'm done."

"Sure, I don't see why not."

"Arigato, Senpai!" Arata gave Saya a quick bow and then turned to practice again. The spell didn't go quite the distance, but at least it was staying straight now.

Saya smiled to herself and was glad she was finally able to the help Arata-kun, even if it way she did it was a little ridiculous.

* * *

**Author's note:** I liked this chapter and I hope that all of you did as well. Thank you to firewaterearthwind, Kate1221, DaydreamerMagby, rukia23, SheDevil85, Fefisgbf13, and SorryCharlie for taking the time to review and comment on the last chapter. I really appreciate everyone that I get. My chapters seem to be getting longer and longer, I hope you don't mind!

Next chapter will have a lot of Saya/Ukitake time so I hope you stay tuned!

Please click below and review


	23. Chapter 23: In the Cave

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to BLEACH

* * *

Three years had passed rather quickly for Saya and she was nearing graduation. This should have been a happy time for her, but she was feeling a little saddened by it. Most of her friends were continuing on in their studies, but Saya had satisfied her course work in half the amount of time it usually takes an academy student. She wasn't the only one who was graduating early from her class. Kazuki was going through the ceremony as well. Morimoto had graduated six months before that. Still, Saya couldn't help but want to stay with Hiami, Midori, Miroku, and Hideki.

"What squad do you think you'll be assigned to Saya?" Hiami asked with excitement for her friend.

"I'm not sure, whichever one they think I'd work best in, I guess."

"Maybe you'll be in your brother's squad? Or maybe even Ukitake-taicho's!" Hiami squealed.

"Shh!" Saya said quickly as some other students passed by. Hiami and Midori were the only ones who Saya ever told of her crush on Juushiro. Even then she didn't give them all the details, like how she would sneak out at night to visit him. They were innocent visits though, with Ukitake and Saya just enjoying being in each other's company. Every now and then he might place a peck on her cheek or forehead, but he never went any farther. She didn't share any of that; although she thought that Hiami was aware of her frequent outings.

"I actually requested not to be in my brother's squad. I was afraid that other squad members would think that I was being treated better if I had any successes. I want to be equal with everyone else. I wouldn't mind being in Aizen-taicho's squad. He's a good man and a great captain."

"Yes, but I thought Ichimaru-fukutaicho made you feel uncomfortable?"

"That's true. Hmm… I don't know."

"What about the twelfth division?" Hiami said with a certain amount of sarcasm in her voice.

Saya knew her friend wasn't being serious, but still shuddered at the thought of being in the research division, mainly because she had been accosted by Kurotsuchi-taicho on more than one occasion. He would try to convince her to try out some technique that had a possibility of helping her regain her memories. "Only some minor discomfort to put up with, but all worth it to regain your memories, ne?" He would say with a sadistic grin on his face. Saya would rather spend the day with Gin than five minutes with Mayuri.

"I hear you're even going to be seated, Saya. That's so exciting, don't you think?"

Saya frowned a little. She felt undeserving a seated position even though she was one of the top in her class and excelled in footwork, hand-to-hand combat, kidou, and sword play. But she was still unable to hear Hanryo's name. Whenever he called out to her, it was like there was cotton stuffed in her ears and all she could hear was muffled sounds.

"I guess, I'm sure it won't be too high. Probably the lowest seat you can have without being unranked."

"What seat is that?" Hiami asked.

"Hmm, twentieth, I think? Besides, I think that the lower ranked seats like that might be shared between as many as four or five members." Saya answered back. "Kazuki can hear his zanpakuto's name and he excels in all of our classes, I'm sure that he'll be given a seat. Maybe even a mid-level one." Saya continued.

"Are you still worried about that Saya? That you can't hear his name yet?"

"Yes, I feel like I should have been able to hear him by now. Everything else we talk about is so clear. So why can't I hear his name?"

"I don't know, Saya. A lot of us are still unable to hear our zanpakuto's name. But it will come in time. So don't worry about it, okay? I'm sure there are a lot of members who didn't learn their zanpakuto's name until actually entering the protection squads. Some never do, of course they're pretty much useless but can still do the grunt work that it takes to keep this place going. Uh, not that you would ever be one of those who can't hear their zanpakuto's name, Saya!" Hiami said quickly after realizing the hole she had dug for herself.

Saya smile and nodded, amused by her friend's little blunder but didn't take any offense to it. She had completed all of her exiting exams and was now ready to be a full-fledged member of the Gotei 13. She would learn what squad she was accepted into on graduation day. _At least there are members in the squads that don't know the name of their zanpakuto either. I wonder if I can learn his name in this week before graduation?_ Saya thought to herself.

_"You won't know unless you try, Saya-sama." _Hanryo said with a hint of mischief in his voice._ "We have a week before you graduate, why not start now?"_

"I'm going to go train, Hiami-san."

"You have a week off and you're going to use it to go train? No wonder you're graduating early." Hiami teased. "Alright, but be careful, okay?"

Saya gave her friend a hug, grabbed her zanpakuto and slipped it back into her obi. Saya loved her zanpakuto. The guard was a light lavender color in the shape of a sunburst with nine peaks and curved valleys between each point. The hilt had a braided covering like all soul society zanpakutos, but was a deep royal purple color and the pattern allowed the silver finish underneath to show through. The scabbard was onyx colored with a fine silver pattern painted on it. Saya always thought that the silver swirls looked like a playful wind.

Saya made her way to the woods behind the thirteenth division. It was the place where she had first come in contact with a hollow, but it was also the perfect location for training by oneself. The specific spot she was heading for was about seven miles into the woods. It was a clearing with a small pond, but plenty of room to train. She smiled when she remembered when Juushiro had first taken her to this spot. They sat by the pond and looked up at the stars, playing connect-the-dots and making different shapes and pictures in the sky. It was one of Saya's fondest memories with Ukitake.

Finally arriving, Saya made her way over to the pond and began by meditating. She needed to see and speak to Hanryo if she was ever going to learn his real name. Closing her eyes and taking deep relaxing breaths, Saya centered herself and entered her inner world.

The first thing she noticed was an aggressive gust blowing by her.

"So Saya-sama, do you think you finally hear my name?" Hanryo asked her with a mischevious smile.

"I do and I will. You told me to learn your name before I entered the protection squads, I only have one week."

"Draw your sword, and fight me here first."

Saya did as she was told and drew her sword. Hanryo unsheathed his sword, identical to Saya's, as well.

"Let's begin the lesson, Saya-sama."

Without anymore of a warning, Hanryo jumped towards Saya and quickly brought down his sword. Saya barely had time to put up her sword to block him.

"Ne ne, Saya-sama! You won't learn my name when you can barely block my attack!"He teased as he swung his sword around and aimed for the right side of her body.

"You sure are in an interesting mood today, Hanryo." Saya said as she blocked and counter attacked. Hanryo easily diverted her swing and lunged forward. Saya barely got away but he still managed to cut her left shoulder.

"You had better be quicker than that, Saya-sama." Hanryo said as his purple eyes sparkled from the sun.

Saya was starting to become infuriated with her zanpakuto's attitude. He was mocking and condescending and she didn't like it at all. Only minutes into their fight and she was already annoyed with him.

"Calm yourself, Saya-sama. A hot-headed warrior runs out of steam quickly. Control your emotions and concentrate on what you're doing, rather than what you are feeling."

Saya set her jaw and scowled. She tried to clear her head of any distracting thoughts or negative emotions.

"Good, Saya-sama, now listen to your instincts and they will tell you what to do. Keep your mind quiet and senses open."

Hanryo made to attack again but Saya was able to block and counter fast enough where she managed to land a hit on his arm. Hanryo jumped back and looked at where Saya had managed to slice his skin. He simpered back up at her. The wind started to grow more fierce around them.

"I think you're getting it Saya-sama; play time is over. It's time to truly begin."

* * *

Juushiro was sitting in his home enjoying some tea and some well deserved alone time when he felt the spike of an all too familiar reitsu. _Still at it Saya? _He thought to himself. He had been feeling the ebb and flow of her spiritual pressure for a couple of days now and he started to wonder how she was managing.

Making his way out of his house, down the dock, and to the edge of the woods, Juushiro stood there and stared into the thick foliage before him. He could tell that Saya was training and that she was alone, so nothing that would raise too much concern. But his interest was peaked. He knew that she hadn't managed shikai yet and figured that she had to be working towards that goal.

_She'll manage quicker if she's training against someone well above her skill level._ He argued with himself. With that thought in mind, Juushiro went back and gathered some supplies such as food and water then returned to the edge of the woods. He took his first step into the woods and towards Saya.

* * *

Meanwhile, Saya was on one knee, panting for breath. She had stuck her sword into the ground and was leaning against it for support.

"What was that, Hanryo? What did I just do?"

Hanryo had managed to pick himself off of the ground and walk over to Saya. His clothes were torn and he had scratches all over his face and body.

"You just released your shikai attack." He said while smiling down at her. "Don't worry about me. Although unpleasant to get hit with, you cannot really harm me in this world. Not to mention, the attack is just one manifestation of myself. I can't really hurt myself, now can I?"

"But how did I release it without knowing your name?" Saya said between her short breaths.

"You will hear my name soon, Saya-sama. But be aware of your surroundings even when you are in this world. Someone has come to help."

Saya concentrated and felt Juushiro's spiritual pressure approaching the glade.

"Hanryo?"

"Go back to your world Saya and fight against him. Only working together will you be able to hear my name. Do you trust me?"

"I always do."

"Good, now let us take on the pretty captain."

"You just had to ruin it, didn't you?"

"Yes."

* * *

Saya opened her eyes and stood up. She was still feeling weak from battling against Hanryo in her inner world.

"Hello Ukitake-san, I hope this day finds you well." Saya said politely with a bow.

"Yes thank you, but Saya-sama, it is nighttime. Have you not noticed?"

Indeed it was night and Saya realized she had no idea how long she had already been out there.

"Oh yes, I see." Saya said a little embarrassed.

"Saya-sama, have you eaten anything during your time out here?"

"Uh no, Ukitake-san, I haven't."

"You need to stop for a moment and eat. Here, I've brought you some rice balls and ramen." He said gently.

Saya smiled at the handsome and caring man standing before her. "Thank you, Ukitake-san, I will eat them now."

Juushiro handed Saya the food which she politely accepted. She was feeling rather hungry and had her manners not gotten in the way, she would have greedily stuffed all the food into her mouth. But, as she was too polite, she slowly took bites of the food in front of her.

"Feeling better, Saya-sama?" Ukitake asked when she took her last sip of water.

"Hai, Ukitake-taicho, very much."

"Have you released your shikai yet?"

"No, but he tells me I'm close."

"Then I will help you get the rest of the way." Ukitake said with his charming smile that he always wore on his lips.

Although Saya expected him to say something like that, she still felt undeserving of a captain's help in reaching shikai.

She got on her knees and bowed low. "I would be honored if Ukitake-taicho were to help me."

"Saya-sama, it would be my pleasure." He said as he stood up, offering Saya his hand, which she gladly accepted. He pulled her up and close to his body. Saya blushed a little at their proximity and the fact that he still had not let go of her hand. "Saya-sama, I won't go easy on you. In order to achieve shikai, you must be pushed to your limit."

Saya nodded. "Hai, Ukitake-taicho."

_"Did you hear that, Saya-sama? The pretty taicho won't ease up just because he fancies you. Don't expect to beat him, but together, we can take the next step to becoming more powerful."_

_"I trust you, Hanryo, just tell me what to do."_

_"Well for starters, you might want to block his sword."_

_"What? OH!"_ Saya reacted almost a second too late as Juushiro's sword came down on her.

"You need to learn to be connected to your zanpakuto while still being fully aware of your surroundings, Saya-sama. That could have been a deadly blow."

Saya scoffed and prepared to defend herself once again against Ukitake's attacks.

_"He's right you know, I tell you that all the time."_

_"Yes I know, but now is not the time to be saying 'I told you so.'"_

_"Okay, well then watch out for this next hit."_

Saya dodged but Ukitake's sword still managed to make a small cut on her thigh. Saya cleared her mind and tried to connect herself only to Hanryo and her surroundings. She wasn't going to let anything cloud her mind or judgement. She allowed her instincts to take over and felt rather comfortable allowing her natural intuition guide her. Just like when fighting Hanryo before, Saya was able to start blocking and counterattacking.

Only taking short breaks when needed, Juushiro and Saya fought until late the next evening. Juushiro was starting to grow tired but Saya looked like she was about to fall over.

"Saya-sama, we should stop for now. You need to eat something and storm clouds are gathering overhead."

"NO! I won't stop until I hear his name!" Saya said as she attempted to attack once again.

With Juushiro being so much more powerful that she was, Saya wasn't able to do much damage to the captain or really land any hits. She did however, manage to cut his haori a dozen times, which she was happy with.

"Very well." Juushiro started attacking hard once again. He parried and swung while he quickly ran circles around Saya, it was all she could do to keep up.

But then she felt it; her reitsu was rising as she had to put a greater effort into defending herself.

_"Do you feel it Saya-sama? Can you feel your power? You'll hear it now. Release my shikai. Give the command and say my name it's... "_

"Blow through the skies of heaven, KAMIKAZE!" Saya yelled. Saya watched as her sword lengthened and the blade grew wider and thicker. The color of her sword looked almost lilac and the same pattern that was painted on the scabbard appeared grooved in fine lines on the blade itself.

Juushiro had to jump back when her shikai was released and anchored himself in a defense position, ready for her to attack with her released form. Saya grasped tightly to the handle with both hands and held the sword so that it was parallel to the ground. Starting with blade in front of her, she sliced the air from left to right in one great swing. Her eyes widened in shock as she watched what looked like 100 boomerang shaped blades make their way towards Juushiro. She held her breath as she watched Juushiro try to block, dodge, and divert the blades. Several made contact with his arms and legs, but he had raised his own reitsu up enough so that they didn't manage to cut too deeply. Although it seemed that in any other circumstances, and especially when she learned to control it, Saya possessed a rather deadly shikai.

Saya dropped her sword and fell to her hands and knees, her breaths short, quick, and shallow.

_"I did it, Hanryo, I heard your true name. Divine wind, eh? No wonder you think so highly of yourself."_

_"I am glad you finally heard my true name. But you may continue to call me Hanryo if you wish, you always did before."_

_"Did I? You never told me that."_

_"You never asked."_

Saya smiled to herself. She was happy to finally release her shikai and thought that her zanpakuto's name was incredibly fitting.

"Saya-sama, are you alright?" Ukitake asked with a concerned voice, Saya was at her limit when she finally managed to release her shikai and now it looked like she might pass out soon.

"Hai, Ukitake-taicho, thank you."

"Saya-sama, I know this is a time for celebration, but the storm clouds are getting worse. We need to get out of here." Juushiro said as he started picking up the rest of the food.

"Do you think we'll be able to make it back to your division?" Saya asked. She was answered by a rather large bolt of lightening and a huge thunder crash.

"I don't think so. No worries, there's a cave just up ahead that we can stay in until the storm blows over. I know you've used up a lot of your spirit energy, but you might want to flash step to get there." With that said, Ukitake flashed away from Saya.

"Wait, what?!" But right then the skies decided to open up and pour out their liquid showers on the grounds below. Saya was soaked through before she even knew what hit her. She quickly located Ukitake's reitsu and followed it to a cave not too far off.

Juushiro had already started a fire and was gathering rain water to drink with their meal. He turned to see Saya standing at the entrance of the cave, she was drenched from the storm and her uniform clung to her curves. Juushiro could also tell she was feeling rather uncomfortable and somewhat exposed with her wet clothing; she stood with her arms crossed in front of her chest and she still hadn't looked at him since entering the cave.

Juushiro found himself slightly amused with their situation and found started smirking at Saya.

"Ne, Ukitake-san, what's so funny?"

"Oh nothing, this just strikes me as amusing is all."

"I don't see what's so amusing, Ukitake-san. I'm cold and wet and stuck in a cave." Saya said, much like Kuchiki might if he were in a similar situation. This only caused Juushiro to smile wider, but he soon lost it when Saya sneezed.

"Get away from the mouth of the cave, Saya-sama. It's much warmer in here by the fire. You'll catch your death if you don't warm up soon."

Saya moved slowly towards the fire but still wouldn't look at Juushiro. When Saya was close enough, he saw that she was shivering from her cold wet clothing.

"Saya-sama, forgive me, but you have to get out of those wet clothes. You'll come down with a fever if you don't." Juushiro said seriously.

Saya looked at him with wide eyes but wasn't sure how to react to his statement. "Excuse me, Ukitake-san? But what am I supposed to wear? I have nothing else with me."

"I'll give you my haori, Saya-sama, but you really do need to get out of that soaked uniform."

Saya stiffened and wasn't sure what to do. She knew that he was right, but this whole thing seemed entirely inappropriate.

"Saya-sama?"

"Hai. But please turn around while I undress."

"Of course." Ukitake said as he turned around and took off his haori so that he could hand it to her when she was ready for it.

Saya turned herself around too so that her back was towards Juushiro and began to disrobe. She practically had to peel the cloth off of her skin. Even though she was nude, she immediately felt warmer with the wet clothes off of her body and the heat from the fire helped warm her as well. She placed an arm over her chest and turned slightly so that she could see Ukitake. His back was still towards her.

"Please hand me your haori, Ukitake-taicho." Saya said.

Ukitake held the haori out behind him as best he could without turning around, although he had to admit he was quite tempted to take a quick glance. He wouldn't though, he promised.

Saya took the haori and slipped it on. It was already oversized as it had to go over the standard shinigami uniform, and Saya was practically swimming in the large outer kimono. She wrapped the thin cloth around her body as best as she could.

"I don't have anything to hold it together." She said out loud but mainly to herself.

A few moments later she felt Ukitake right behind her and she became a little rigid as she felt his arms around her waist. She looked down to see that he was tying and obi around her to hold the haori closed.

"I wore two, it's a good thing." He said quietly as he finished the knot. He didn't let her go right away and Saya turned her head to look at him. His face was just over her left shoulder and he seemed to be staring at the knot he had just tied.

Saya could feel his breath on her neck and her she had to concentrate hard on not letting her breathing quicken too much, which was hard as she could already feel her heart pounding in her chest. She looked at Juushiro from the corner of her eye and her gaze stopped on his lips. She quickly averted them when she realized what she was doing. In the next moment she felt Juushiro give her a little push so that she had to take a step forward. It wasn't hard or anything, just a small one to create some space between the two.

"Why don't you rest near the fire, Saya-sama? I'm sure you're tired after your almost non-stop training."

"Hai, thank you, Ukitake-san." She said. Saya positioned herself against the cave wall and was enjoying the heat from the fire. Finding the fire somewhat hypnotic, Saya gazed into it while the flames danced around to their own special rhythym. Soon, her eyes were heavy with fatigue and her head started bobbing while Saya put up a vain effort to stay awake. Her body won over, however, and she fell asleep by the fire to drift off into her own little dream world.

Juushiro had busied himself with preparing what little food he had left when he looked at Saya. A smile crossed his face when he surveyed her sleeping figure. He thought that she might look even more beautiful when she was asleep, when she seemed most vulnerable. He watched as her chest raised and lowered in a rhythmic pattern with her breathing. Her face seemed completely passive while she slumbered. _I wonder what she is dreaming about?_ He thought to himself.

_"Master is hoping she is dreaming about him, ne?"_ Two voices sang in harmony.

Juushiro just smiled to himself. They knew his answer, whether or not he admitted it.

* * *

Saya was looking at herself in a mirror while she tied a green obi around her waist. She looked about 16 in human years and her hair was pulled back tight and pinned to her head. Her uniform was black from head to toe and outlined her body so that one would not be able to tell if she was a man or a woman. Seeing a door open in the reflection of the mirror, Saya turned around to see an older, distinguished looking gentleman enter her room.

"Good evening, Ojii-sama." Saya said with a low bow. She waited until he gave her permission before she stood up again.

"Are you ready for tonight, Saya?"

"Hai."

"This is your first true test for you to show your loyalty and service."

"Hai, Ojii-sama. I'm ready to prove my dedication."

"Good, Saya-sama. Remember, don't let your emotions rule you. You cannot allow them to interfere in your mission, no matter what it may be."

"Hai."

"The target has proven himself to be a danger to His Majesty; a possible traitor who only wants for more power. He must be eradicated."

"Hai."

"His family too. They cannot be allowed to survive him, they will only seek revenge and cause more trouble for His Majesty."

"Hai." Saya placed a mask over her head and face; a screen covered even her eyes. All parts of her identity were effectively hidden to any onlooker.

"What name have you and your zanpakuto chosen for you?"

"I will go by Ichijin."

"Go now, Ichijin, and prove your worth."

"Hai."

Ichijin flashed quickly to her destination. She knew what had to be done and she had trained hard to be useful to her Lord. It was her job, and if she wanted to fulfill her duties, then she would do what was asked of her. What did she care anyway? As far as she was concerned, they were nothing more than traitors to the king.

Spotting the target's home, Ichijin landed quietly on the roof and scanned the area for guards and other possible nuisances that would delay her mission. She counted sixteen guards, all placed in strategic positions throughout the mansion grounds. Masking her own spiritual pressure to a greater degree, Ichijin made her way to the closest guard. She had the cover of darkness on her side and was careful not to make even the slightest of sounds.

Knowing that she didn't want to give herself away so early, Ichijin decided that she would have to dispatch the guards without the use of kidou. She pulled out a small dagger and crept up behind the unsuspecting man. Warm blood escaped from his throat before he even had a chance to make a sound.

_"Be careful, Saya-sama. Don't give yourself away."_

_"That was an easy kill. This is a pathetic guard indeed if one can enter so easily onto the grounds."_

_"Hai Saya-sama, but it is best to keep your senses sharp."_

_"Understood. You must be talking about the guard about twenty paces behind me then?"_

_"Hai."_

_"Idiot. He should have rang the alarm bell if he saw something suspicious. That will be the last mistake he makes."_

Ichijin quickly flashed out of sight of the guard that was stalking her. His eyes widened as he realized a second too late the masked shadow was behind him. His hand shot to his throat in a vain attempt to stifle the bleeding. Only gurgling sounds were made as he failed to scream out a warning to the others.

_"Poor fool."_

_"Saya-sama, there are still fourteen more. How would you like to rid yourself of them?"_

_"Hanryo, are you asking to get in on the action?"_

_"It would be easiest to let me finish them. The master of the house would easily be drawn out to see what all the commotion is about. He'll surely challenge you and then you can finish your mission."_

_"Are there only the fourteen left?"_

_"Hai, and easy enough for me to dispatch."_

_"Alright then."_ Ichijin jumped to the middle of the courtyard in front of four guards that were stationed there.

"WHO ARE YOU!"

"WHAT BUSINESS DO YOU HAVE HERE?"

"PREPARE TO DIE, INTRUDER!"

"STATE YOUR NAME SO THAT WE MAY KNOW WHAT TO CALL THE ONE WE KILL ON OUR LORD'S GROUNDS!"

"Chi chi, such a big statement for one such as yourself. But you may call me Ichijin." She unsheathed her sword and watched as the guard circled around her. Although no one could see, a wicked smirk appeared on her face. "Blow through the skies of heaven, Kamikaze!" Ichijin had released her zanpakuto and swung out causing a hundred boomerang shaped blades to fly towards the men. She stood there impassively while she watched the blades circle and slice through the men around her. She was actually amused by the ones who thought they could dodge Kamikaze. The boomerang shape of her blades allowed them to change direction and follow the enemy until they made contact.

_"Well done, Hanryo and look, it is as you predicted; there is the Master now."_ Ichijin turned her body to face the Lord of the household.

His eyes were wide in shock as he looked at the slain men that littered his courtyard, their blood flowing freely about them. "Who are you? Why have you done this?" The Lord cried out, then he took a closer look at the masked figure standing before him. "I see, you are from the King's Guard."

"Hai. You may call me Ichijin."

"What business do you have here with me?" He asked, with his tone growing apprehensive.

"Please do no act as if you don't know, Lord Miyagi. You have been found to commit treacherous acts against His Majesty the King. Your life is now forfeit."

"I will not go down without a fight! I will defeat you and that King of yours!"

Ichijin looked past the man to see his wife, two daughters, and young son standing at a doorway looking on with great fear in their eyes. "I have heard enough. You forfeit your family's life too with your traitorous acts. Pray that you do defeat me so that you and your family may live on."

The Lord drew his sword and charged at the masked stranger before him. Ichijin quickly jumped out of the way as Lord Miyagi turned to round on her again. He was easy enough to dodge and his style was rather straightforward.

_"What are you doing, Saya-sama? Do you not plan on attacking him?"_

_"Of course, I just wanted to get a feel for him first. He comes straight at me like some sort of Neanderthal, no style whatsoever. Pity, I heard he was very skilled with a sword. Perhaps his emotions overrun his reason?"_

Ichijin decided to block his attack with her sword and start her counterattacks. The Lord attempted to block and parry, but found that his efforts were in vain as the warrior he was fighting was faster and more complex with their movements. That's when it happened. He felt himself lose grip of his sword and watched as it flew several yards away. A hard open hand attack to this sternum caused him to start tumbling backwards, but then he suddently felt himself being pulled forward. He fell onto his knees with his head bowed and shut his eyes tight knowing what was coming next. He barely had time to feel the cold steel of the blade make contact with the skin on his neck before everything went black.

* * *

Juushiro looked up at Saya when he saw her jump a little, but her eyes were still closed. Her face was no longer impassive; instead it looked troubled. _She must be dreaming about something unpleasant? Perhaps a memory is coming back to her? I should wake her… no. It might be important. She has yet to see the face of the man who attacked her. She may be dreaming about that again and perhaps this time she'll see. I don't want to wake her and keep her from finding out her pursuer. _

But Juushiro then felt the unease in Saya's spiritual pressure. He looked again and noticed that her breathing had grown quick and shallow and she had started to shift some. It didn't look so much like she was running away in her dream, more like she was trying to get away from the dream itself.

* * *

Ichijin directed her attention towards the family members that were screaming at seeing their loved one decapitated. The screams quickly turned into sobs and fear covered their faces as they saw Ichijin walking towards them.

"Please don't hurt us! Please don't harm my children!" Lady Miyagi pleaded with the approaching figure.

"Your family has been shamed by the actions of your husband. It is better you join him and atone for the sins he has laid upon this family." Ichijin answered in a rather flat tone of voice.

"Please! Not my children." The woman fell to her knees and begged as her young children huddled together behind her.

"I'll do you a favor then. I'll kill you first."

"How could you?! You monster! They have done nothing wrong! They're only children! Please spare them! I beg you!"

"If you want to call someone a monster, place that name on your dearly departed husband. He is the reason that your children must pay for their father's sins."

The woman made to protest once more but was silenced by the blade in Ichijin's hand. The children screamed and the oldest daughter held her younger siblings tight to her as they all sobbed violently into each other. Quickly enough, no more weeping was heard on the manor grounds; the only thing that could be heard in Ichijin's ears was the sounds of three small bodies hitting the wooden floor as she turned her back on them and began to walk away.

* * *

Saya screamed as she opened her eyes and quickly sat up, only to find herself being grabbed by Juushiro. He brought her into a gentle hug against his chest and Saya grabbed onto his kimono tightly as she tried to slow her breathing.

"Are you okay, Saya-sama?" Juushiro asked with a concerned tone.

Saya pushed Juushiro away and looked into his kind eyes. Those were the eyes of a man who would never harm innocents and would have gone against orders like the one she seemed to have followed so willingly. She pushed him farther away and stood up and walked to the cave opening and looked at the tumultuous rain that was still falling. She didn't want Juushiro to hold her in that gentle way, she didn't deserve such kindness. Not if what she had just remembered was true.

_"Hanryo?"_

_"Yes, Saya-sama."_

_"Did I really do that horrible thing?"_

_"Hai, Saya-sama. It was an order and you obeyed. Are you really going to blame yourself for following a direct order from the King? You did what you had to in order to protect him."_

_"Was all of that necessary?"_

_"I'm afraid so."_

_"I don't see how."_

_"He was a traitor to the King, Saya-sama. Anyone left alive would have only come to avenge Miyagi's death. You did not do anything wrong, you did what you felt was right."_

_"Then why do I feel like I want to retch all over this cave?"_

_"Sometimes what we believe to be right isn't always easy to deal with. You believed what you were doing was to preserve the King and your loved ones."_

_"My loved ones? What do they have to do with the King and his orders?"_

_"Another time, Saya-sama. The pretty taicho is waiting. He seems rather concerned, ne?"_

Saya turned around to look at Juushiro who was wearing a concerned frown on his face.

"Saya-sama, what is it?"

"Forgive me, Ukitake-san. It's just that… My dream, my memory rather… it's one that I wish I hadn't seen."

"What do you mean by that, Saya-sama?"

"Ukitake-san, I don't think that I was a very good person. I… did something awful and I'm sure it wasn't the only time." Saya said as her voice broke as she came to realize that she probably committed hundreds of heinous acts in her past life. It hit her that the way she killed the Lord was the same way she had attacked Morimoto-san in her first year at school. Tears formed behind her eyes and her attempt to hold them in failed as the hot, salty drops forced their way out and slid down her cheeks. "Forgive me." Saya said as she brought her hands up to cover her face.

Juushiro walked over to her and pulled her hands away and kissed her lightly on the forehead. He wiped away the streaks from her cheeks and kissed her there as well. She looked up at him with cheerless eyes and Juushiro couldn't help but think that she looked so beautifully sad in this moment.

"Saya-sama, whatever happened in the past is the past. What matters is the way you chose to live now. Don't cry. We have all done things we've regretted. Learn from it what you can and move on a better person than you were before."

Saya didn't say anything. She felt like she didn't deserve the comfort he was giving her but couldn't help but be thankful that he did it.

"So please, stop crying Saya-sama." He said as he wiped away the fresh tears and moved her bangs out of her face. He slowly bent down and kissed her lips. He could feel them quiver slightly under his own, but soon felt that Saya had returned his gesture and enjoyed the feeling of her arms around his neck and her body pressed against his.

Saya had waited so long for a repeat of the time in Shunsui's garden. She felt her stomach knot and an odd heat spread throughout her entire body. She didn't know what to make of the ache that seemed to form deep inside of her. It was an odd sensation that made her want to draw herself even closer to the man before her.

Juushiro drew away enough to allow them to breath, but held her close and layed his forehead on Saya's. He started to give her small kisses on her cheeks and jawline before making his way down to her neck. Saya's knees started to grow weak from all the delightful sensations this man was sending through her body. Juushiro must have felt it too because he picked her up and walked over to the fire where he lay her down and positioned himself beside her.

Saya looked up into Juushiro's eyes that were lit up by the fire beside them. His eyes looked so loving and warm and they melted her straight through to her core. She lifted her arm and placed a hand behind his neck to draw him down to her again. He stopped half way and made to pull her up to meet him in the middle. Their lips touched again and Saya felt her ribbon being pulled from her hair. Her tresses fell like a waterfall and Juushiro used his weight to push her back to the ground while twisting the golden locks around his fingers. His other traced the outlines of her curves that lay beneath the thin haori that covered her figure. Saya's hands clumsily skimmed his muscular chest, which emitted soft moans of approval from her partner.

Juushiro broke away from Saya's lips once again as he concentrated on the smooth skin of her neck once more and suckled the crook where her neck and shoulders met. He smiled against her skin as she let out a satisfied gasp in response. With the free hand that was still roaming her body, he found the obi that was holding the haori together and gave a slight tug. Not enough to untie it, but enough to see if Saya would let him continue. He felt her body stiffen beneath him but she didn't make any signs of protest to stop. It was only a second later that he felt his own obi being untied and thrown to the side.

He looked up and met Saya's eyes. They were mixed with desire and a little apprehension. "I'll stop whenever you want me to. Just say the word."

Saya nodded. "I don't want you to stop."

Juushiro smiled as he leaned in and tasted her sweet, supple lips once more. He slowly untied her obi and threw open her robes. He allowed himself to take in her naked flesh before him. Her skin was almost perfect save for the three light scars that marred it. One near her heart, the other from her sternum to her navel, and the last from her rib to her hip. He took his finger and traced each one softly and then kissed each of them in turn.

Saya closed her eyes at reveled in Juushiro's touches. She knew well the lines he traced and kissed. But her body was calling out for something more. She squirmed slightly as heat grew between her legs and the aching she felt intensified. She had never felt like this before and hoped desperately that she could figure out how to relieve herself of these odd sensations before they drove her mad. She grabbed at Juushiro and brought him up to her lips not knowing why she needed him to be so close to her. She gasped as she felt him touch her warmth as tingling shot through her entire body. Whatever that was, she wanted more of it.

Juushiro helped her remove his hakama and he positioned himself above her. He could tell she was nervous and gently pushed on her knees with his hands. He gave her gentle kisses as he brought himself up to meet her entrance. Saya's breathing had grown even more unsteady in anticipation of what was to happen next.

"Saya, this is going to hurt some. Remember, just tell me if you want me to stop."

Saya just shook her head. "I don't want you to stop." Saya said breathlessly.

Juushiro eased himself into her virgin core and felt her ripping around him. Saya wrapped her arms underneath his shoulders and closed her eyes tightly as she tried to chase away the pain she felt with her mind. She held her breath at first and then tried to take even breaths in an attempt to make herself relax around him. Juushiro didn't move, he just kissed her forehead and temple lightly until he felt Saya relax a little. He slowly pushed in and out of her and knew that she had to be in pain.

"Saya, I…"

"I don't want you to stop. Please." She said although her voice seemed much smaller than before.

Juushiro kept at his gentle pace, not wanting to cause anymore pain than he already had. Eventually, Saya started to move in time with him. She didn't find that all the pain had left her, but she was starting to feel how enjoyable this act could be. She didn't want Juushiro to stop, she wanted to give all of herself to him and was happy to do so, even if it hurt at first. The two continued their rocking until Saya found the release her body had been searching for and Juushiro followed in kind soon after.

They lay there together, bodies sweating and breathing heavy. Juushiro had his head placed in Saya's nook at her shoulder and she ran her fingers through his long white locks.

"Juushiro," She said, it was the first time she had ever used his name, "I'm glad that I got to share this part of myself with you. I swear that no other man will ever be allowed to touch me. My heart and body belong only to you." Saya whispered into his ear.

Juushiro raised his head and looked into the eyes of his lover with a smile. "I feel it is okay to tell you this now. I love you." He said as he planted a gentle kiss on her lips.

"And I love you." She said back.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Okay, so I think that this might be my new favorite chapter! Saya's flashback was much darker I think than any of the others before. Also, I'm not a good lemon writer... but I did the best I could and what I was comfortable with actually writing. So I hope that part was okay. But due to the darker subject matter and the "lemon-ish" parts of this chapter, I felt it was necessary to change the rating from T to M.

Thank you to: fefisgbf13, DaydreamerMagby, rukia23, firewaterearthwind, SorryCharlie, Bleacheese, Ukitake-chan, and Kate1221 for taking the time to review. To all my readers, I would REALLY appreciate any feedback on this chapter, so please take the time to post a comment. I would really like to know what you thought about this chapter. Thank you!


	24. Chapter 24: Graduation

Disclaimer: I don't own the rights to BLEACH

* * *

"You did what to my sister?!" An intoxicated Shunsui asked a nervous looking Juushiro.

"I didn't _do_ anything to her, Shunsui. It… it just sort of happened."

"Accidents just happen Juushiro. Forgetting to turn in paperwork happens. Sleeping with someone without the influence of alcohol doesn't 'just sort of happen!'"

"Come on Shunsui, you said so yourself. Better me than anyone else."

"I don't recall giving you permission to BED her!"

"Shh, Shunsui! Lower you voice!" Juushiro said. _Maybe giving him that much sake was a bad idea?_

_"You think?"_ Two cool voices asked their master. Juushiro had the bright idea to bring a few bottles of Shunsui's favorite sake over to his division in order to tell his friend about what had happened between himself and Saya. Juushiro wasn't sure if Saya would be angry with him or not, but this was his best friend and her older brother. Ukitake didn't really have secrets from Shunsui and didn't want to start now.

"Oh my Saya-chan! She was walking funny, you know? I asked why and she said it was from training! My imouto lied to me!" Shunsui laid his head down on his arm and started sobbing.

_Now he's just being over-dramatic._ Juushiro thought with an exasperated sigh.

"Stop it taicho." Nanao said in her stern voice as she entered the room. "You know very well that you were making jokes to me the whole time they were missing together. Stupid comments about Ukitake and his sword and dirty comments about how Saya's name means 'sheath.' 'Put two and two together, Nanao-chan,' you said! Your mind was in the gutter, not that it's any different from any other day. Stop making Ukitake-taicho feel bad! Besides, I doubt you want the whole Sereitei to know what happened, which is exactly what's going to happen if you don't lover you voice! I mean LOWER you voice!" Nanao stated harshly.

Juushiro raised a curious eyebrow in Shunsui's direction. He noticed that Shunsui had stopped "crying" and was now smiling at Nanao and batting his eyelashes in a silly manner.

"Nanao-chan! That's an interesting slip you made! Perhaps you are thinking that being lovers with a taicho is a good idea?" He said as he pouted his lips at her. She answered him with a swat of her fan on the bridge of his nose.

"Ouch!" Shunsui cried while rubbing his nose. He turned his attention to Juushiro. "I'm not mad Juushiro. I just wanted to have a little fun is all. Your face was worried there for a moment though!"

"I'm sure it was." Juushiro said tersely.

It had been a couple of days since he and Saya had returned to the Sereitei. Juushiro didn't lie when he had told everyone that he had helped Saya reach shikai. The storm was pretty violent, so everyone believed that they had to seek shelter, which was the truth as well. It just so happened to provide the perfect cover and no one had to be the wiser. Currently, Saya was staying at her brother's home. She was feeling weak… and sore from her training and cave experience. She had said that she didn't want to stay at the dorms because she wouldn't get rested up there, and she wanted to be refreshed for graduation. Juushiro was sure that she just wanted the privacy the manor afforded her.

His mind was tempted to return to the images of their time in the cave together, but Juushiro stopped himself and gave another glare in Shunsui's direction.

"Why don't you come over for dinner, Juushiro? I'm sure Saya would like to see you again." Shunsui said in a softer tone while he gave his friend a warm smile.

"Thank you. I would like that."

"We might as well head that direction now. Nanao-chan, you are more than welcome to come as well." Shunsui stated.

"No thank you, Taicho. I still have some paperwork to get finished."

Juushiro followed his friend out of his offices. He took note at how beautiful the sky was looking this evening. The sun was low on the horizon with pink and purple hues dancing their way across the sky. Juushiro loved sunsets, and no paintings could ever do justice to the real thing. He looked at the yellow ball as it sank lower and thought of how Saya's hair reflected the sun in such a beautiful way, with all hues of golden reflecting the light.

"Right, Juushiro?" Shunsui asked his friend.

He turned quickly to look at Shunsui. Juushiro had barely been aware the Shunsui was even speaking to him.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I said the sunset is beautiful, ne?" Shunsui repeated with a small smile.

"Yes, I was just thinking the same thing."

"I thought you were."

"How has Saya been?" Juushiro asked.

"She's been sleeping a lot, but not peacefully. She's been thrashing around a lot more. A couple of times she woke herself up screaming. When I tried to ask her what was wrong, she looked as if she was still stuck in her head, looking at a terrifying scene in front of her."

Juushiro nodded. "She had a nightmare of sorts in the cave. She wouldn't tell me what it was; only that she wasn't sure that she had been a very good person."

"Hmmm." Shunsui said as he took in what Juushiro was telling him. "She's said that to me. That she's a terrible person."

Shunsui and Juushiro walked the rest of the way to the manor in silence. Each going through his own thoughts and theories of Saya's past and existence.

* * *

Saya thrashed beneath her sheets not realizing she was stuck in another nightmare of her memory. In her dream, Saya was watching a fire grow fiercer as it consumed the home in front of her. It was Saya that had locked the family in their manor with no escape. It was Saya that had ordered the other guardsmen to pour kerosene on the walls. It was Saya that had lit the match. It was Saya that heard the screams from inside.

It was Saya that watched and did nothing.

* * *

"Welcome home, Kyouraku-sama. How very nice to see you again, Ukitake-san."

"Thank you, Shin-san. It is my pleasure to be here." Ukitake said as he bowed back to the head servant.

"Where is my sister, Shin-san?" Kyouraku asked.

"She is sleeping, my Lord."

"I see. We won't wake her then, she hasn't been sleeping well at night. It would do her well to catch up on some rest; especially with graduation tomorrow." Shunsui had been worrying about Saya, she was looking rather sleep deprived due to her nightmares and he was hoping that she would find her nap more peaceful. His hope was short lived, however, when he heard a scream pierce through the relative silence of the house.

* * *

Shunsui burst through Saya's door with Ukitake close on his heels. He saw that Saya had kicked all of the covers off of the bed. Her hair was wet with sweat and she was crying in her sleep.

"Hanryo!" She screamed. "Hanryo!"

Shunsui grabbed his sister and cradled her into his chest. "Saya, imo-chan, it's time to wake up. Please wake up." She tried to fight against him but held her close to him so that she couldn't move. Juushiro watched with eyes full of concern as Saya unknowingly fought against her brother's embrace. But finally she snapped her eyes wide open and realized where she was. Far away from whatever it was that was haunting her this time.

Once Saya realized she was in the safe arms of her brother she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. "Aniki. Why do you comfort me?"

"Because that's what big brothers do when their sisters are frightened." Shunsui answered softly as he pet her head.

"I don't deserve it." She said back in a whisper.

Juushiro didn't know what to do. He stood there feeling helpless, it seemed that since her nightmare in the cave, Saya has only had nightmares visit her when she slept. Unpleasant dreams full of memories that she would prefer to be left forgotten. He was also beginning to see how much Saya relied on her brother to bring her comfort; to rescue her from herself. Saya hadn't let him hold her the way that Shunsui was holding her now; she had pushed him away. Of course, she had also given something to him that she would never give Shunsui. But Juushiro looked at the sibling pair and it struck him how much he wished it was him that was giving comfort to Saya while Shunsui looked on.

"Saya-chan?" Shunsui started. "Why don't you get ready for dinner? Clean yourself up a little bit."

"No, aniki. I'm not hungry."

"Saya you should eat…"

"No Aniki, please. I'm so tired. Just stay with me for a little while, until I fall back asleep." Saya said as she sank back down on her pillow.

"Of course, Saya-chan. I'll stay here." Shunsui answered as he watched his sister's heavy lids close.

"You too, Juushiro-san. Please." Saya asked.

"If that is what you want, Saya-sama." Juushiro said as he sat in an armchair in the corner of the room.

"Arigato… both of you."

It didn't take long for Saya to fall back into a deep slumber, her mind and body was tired and desperately needed rest. Shunsui and Juushiro both hoped that this time she would find the peace she needed.

After Saya had been asleep for several minutes, Shunsui didn't say a word but simply nodded to Juushiro to follow. Once outside the room, Juushiro couldn't stop himself from asking the question that was bothering him.

"Is that what you meant by her having nightmares, Shunsui?"

"Yes, they've all been like. And she's always calling out for her zanpakuto."

"Has she told you any of the details?" Juushiro asked, eager to find out what she's been dreaming about.

"No, she won't say anything other than that she's a bad person who has done some terrible things. I feel a little helpless; I haven't been able to find one clue to tie her back to her old life. Not that her keeping secrets from me is helping." Shunsui stated.

"Secrets?"

"All I mean is that she isn't telling me about her dreams. I think she's afraid to. But if she tells me, I might be able to gather more information about her past."

* * *

"Saya, we want you to look pretty to meet your father." Said a woman with a face so much like Saya's.

"I get to meet oto-san today? But I thought that ojii-sama said it was forbidden for me to see him?" A girl about the age of five in human years asked.

"Hai, we have to keep it a secret."

"Have I seen him before, mommy?"

"No, Saya. He doesn't live here."

"Where does he live?"

"He lives in the other realm, the Soul Society."

"Oh I see. But I thought that we couldn't get there?"

"There is a way, I will show you."

"But mommy, I thought…"

"That is enough questions, Saya. Here, let me tie your hair up with this ribbon. Your father will be happy to finally meet his daughter."

"Mommy, may I ask one more question?"

"You already did, but you may ask one more."

"What if oto-san doesn't like me?"

The blonde haired woman finished tying the young girl's hair up and then took her into a gentle embrace. "Your father is a kind man and it's hurt him that he hasn't been able to see his little princess all this time. There is no way that he couldn't love you. He is just as excited as you are. Now, look in the mirror at how pretty you look to see your oto-san."

The little girl looked back. Her mother had placed her in one of the little girl's nicest kimonos with many layers underneath. The top layer was pink and gold with an extravagant blue obi to hold it together.

"Oto-san will be pleased?" The little girl asked.

"Your oto-san will be very pleased." The woman smiled. "We must be very careful Saya. His majesty will become very cross if we get caught. Do you understand?"

"Hai, mommy."

"Since you are unable to fully control your spirit pressure yet, you will wear this necklace. It's made of seki-seki rock, or lethality stone. It will mask your reitsu." The woman held up a beautiful bead necklace. The beads themselves were shaped like teardrops with the largest stone in the middle of the necklace.

"It's so pretty mommy!" The young Saya said while she admired it in the mirror.

"Come Saya. We must be very quiet. No one can know we've gone, like I said before. And you wouldn't want to make your ojii-sama mad at you?"

"No, mother."

The little Saya held tightly to her mother's hand as the stole through the castle. Saya watched how her mother crept and moved without making a sound. Lucky for her, she was a quick learner and matched her mother's every move with almost as much grace. The were able to get past the guards at the back gate fairly easy and moved quickly toward the forest that lay behind the palace. Although Saya was confused and disoriented in the darkness, her mother led the way without any difficulty. Clearly she had been down this path several times and knew the layout of the woods by heart.

"Here we are, Saya-chan." The woman said in her silky voice.

"I don't understand mommy, we are just in a clearing."

"I know it looks that way, but I'll show you a secret about this clearing. See this tree here?" She asked while pointing to an incredibly old oak. "This is the gate into the other realm, into the soul society."

"But it looks just like a tree to me."

"The tree is just the marker for the gate, Saya-chan." Her mother said as she took a small dagger from beneath her robes. Saya watched as her mother sliced her palm with the dagger.

"Mother! What are you doing?!" Saya asked with wide eyes full of fear and shock. Her mother's hand was red with blood.

"It is a sin to leave the King's realm without permission, Saya-chan. I'm sorry to scare you, but this is the only way. We must pay for this crime with our blood. A little twisted, isn't it? But that's the way of things."

Saya watched as the woman placed her palm in front of her and walked to the right side of the tree. It was almost like she had run into something invisible. Saya watched as her mother's blood ran down a non-existant wall, but a few moments later, an ornate door appeared and opened.

"Through this door we will find your father, Saya-chan. Are you ready?" Her mother asked as she stretched her uninjured hand towards Saya to take.

Saya was a little hesitant at first, but then grabbed her mother's hand tightly as they walked through the odd hallway. It was dark and little a scary. The rocky walls jutted out in odd places and Saya couldn't make out the ceiling in the dark. She just clung tightly to her mother's hand and allowed herself to be led to the other side.

Saya stepped out into the grass and noticed that they were in a large field surrounded by more forest. Off in the far distant, tiny lights littered the ground.

"Mother, what is that out there?"

"That place is called Rukongai. It's where human souls go to live when they pass on from the material world."

The little girl's eyes were wide with wonder. "It's so… big!"

"There you two are. I was beginning to wonder if I was going to wait all night." A kind man's voice rang out. Saya stiffened and turned to her right. A man was standing about fifty yards away with his back turned.

The beautiful woman leaned down and whispered in Saya's ear. "That is your father, Saya-chan. Go say hello. We've kept him waiting."

"Oto… san?" Saya asked timidly as she took a small step towards the stranger in the field. It didn't take long for her excitement to catch up with her though. "Oto-san!" She cried out in joy as she ran towards the man. "Oto-san! We are so happy to meet you! We are sorry you had to wait for us!" She stopped a few feet behind him, he still hadn't turned to look at her. "Oto-san isn't mad, is he?" she asked.

"No, my little Saya. I'm very happy to meet you too." He said as he turned his head slightly. The moon light only illuminated the bottom half of his face on which he wore a kind smile.

Saya smiled too and took in his black hakama and kimono top. He wore a zanpakuto on his side and had brown hair.

"Oto-san is a shinigami?" Saya asked as he started to turn and face her. Saya's heart started to beat faster as her father's face was about to be revealed…

Her eyes shot open. "Dammit! How come when I want to keep dreaming I wake up, yet when I want to wake up I keep dreaming?"

_"It's the way of things, isn't it, Saya-sama?"_ Hanryo asked in a bored sounding voice.

_"Hanryo, did you wake me up?"_

_"Why would Saya-sama say such a thing?"_

_"Was he someone you don't want me to see yet?"_

_"Perhaps."_

_"Hanryo!"_

_"It is for Saya-sama's own good."_

_"When do I get to have a say in what is for my own good?!"_ Saya snapped at her zanpakuto.

_"When Saya-sama's former power has returned to her."_

Saya sighed and wiggled under her sheets and vainly attempted to force herself back to sleep. She looked out of the window and saw that the stars were out. Still nighttime. She sighed again and threw the covers off of herself. Getting out of bed, she then placed a robe over her sleepwear and started making her way to the kitchen. She was surprised to see Juushiro sitting in there, having a midnight snack, or rather, meal.

"Hello Saya-sama, are you feeling better?" He asked with a smile.

"Oh, yes. No nightmares this time." Saya said with a forced smile.

"That's good. Would you like to share what I've already made? It's enough for two people."

"Oh. Um, yes… thank you." Saya sat down along side Juushiro. This was the first time that she had seen him since they had come back to the Sereitei. She wasn't counting earlier when he was in her room with Shunsui. She was feeling a little nervous and flustered. She didn't think that she would be so embarrassed near him, but it seems that it has just gotten worse since the cave. Butterflies were warring in her stomach and her heart was thumping loudly in her ears. She sat there trying to convince herself that he was not able to hear her heart as well.

"Ne, Saya-sama, are you sure you're okay?" Juushiro said as he reached and placed a hand on her forehead. "You don't feel warm."

Saya closed her eyes for the brief moment that Ukitake had touched her head. She looked in his eyes, which only caused her blush to increase. "No, really, I'm fine."

_"What is wrong with me, Hanryo? I'm so pathetic."_

_"Perhaps."_

_"You're not helping!"_

_"Sorry, Saya-sama. You'll be fine. Remember that the pretty taicho is in love with you." _He answered in a teasing, sing-song voice.

"Saya, are you sure you're alright? Why did your face just fall all of a sudden?"

"Huh? Uh… no reason. My zanpakuto is just teasing me."

"They are good at those sorts of things. May I ask what is he teasing you about?"

"Well, you mainly." Saya answered quietly and then quickly shoved some rice in her mouth.

"Oh I see." Juushiro said as a concerned look came over his face. "Saya, you're not regretting what we did, are you?"

If Saya thought that she was blushing before, the red heat that emanated off of her face proved to her how wrong she was. "No, Juushiro-san! I have no regrets! What I said to you was true."

"Then why are you acting so strangely around me now, Saya?"

"I'm sorry, I don't know how to act now. It seemed to move somewhat quickly, didn't it?"

"Perhaps. But we have known each other for a few years now and have spent so much time together. Surely you knew how I felt in all that time? I don't want you to be so distant and formal with me. We are past that." Juushiro said with a reassuring smile.

Saya nodded and couldn't help but smile back. Naturally, she was at ease with Juushiro. Any tension was caused by herself.

"Let's get you back to bed, Saya-sama. Graduation is a long day and you'll need your rest."

"Alright."

Juushiro held his hand out and Saya took it. He pulled her beside him and they walked hand-in-hand up the stairs and towards Saya's room. He stopped outside her door.

"Here you are Saya, I'll see you in the morning."

"I like that."

"You like what? That you'll see me in the morning?"

"Well, that too, but I was referring to the fact that you called me 'Saya' with no honorifics. I will have to insist that you do that when we are alone."

"Very well, Saya." He whispered as he brushed some hair out of her face and then leaned in to give her a gentle kiss. "Goodnight."

"Wait." Saya said a little too quickly as her free hand moved to cling to Juushiro's arm. "I mean… I would like you to come in for awhile. Just until I fall asleep, please?"

Juushiro looked at Saya for a moment while debating what he should do. It would be more proper for him to return to his own room, but the thought of holding Saya so close to him again was more appealing. "Just until you fall asleep."

"That's all I want." Saya said as she pulled him into the room. She climbed into bed and pulled Juushiro in with her, quickly cuddling into his chest.

He started to pet her head and run his fingers through her hair.

"I was dreaming about my mother and my father." Saya said after a few minutes of silence.

"Oh?" Juushiro said.

"I look a lot like my mother. The first time that I saw her I thought that I was looking at me, actually."

"What about your father?"

"I didn't see his face in this dream. I saw that he was wearing a shinigami uniform."

"Your father is a shinigami?"

"Are you surprised?"

"Well, no. I suppose not. But then why hasn't he claimed you?"

"Maybe he's not around to claim me, Juushiro." Saya said softly. Juushiro felt her scoot a little closer to him when she said that and he instinctively put his arms around her.

"I'm sorry, Saya. I wasn't thinking."

"No, it's fine. I'm not upset by it. Daisuke is my father now."

Juushiro was hoping that Saya would share a few more details about her dream, but decided not to push it. He didn't want to upset her, knowing that she would only share what she wanted anyway.

"Are you excited about tomorrow, Saya?"

"I am. More so now than I was before."

"Before?"

"Before I learned Hanryo's real name. Before I learned that his name was Kamikaze. I made a promise to him that I would learn his name before entering the protection squads. I'm happy that I was able to keep that promise."

"Yes, you have quite the interesting shikai there, Saya. If you hadn't been so tired and at your breaking point, you probably would have inflicted a lot more damage to me than you did."

"Thank you, Juushiro, for helping me. Thank you for everything." She whispered as she started kissing his collarbone.

"Hhmmm? Oh, you're… welcome." Juushiro manage to get out. His mind was starting to become cloudy.

"Juushiro, that thing we did in the cave. Can we try it again?" Saya said as she moved her way up to Juushiro's lips.

"Mmmmm." Was all the Juushiro could say because his mouth was being covered by Saya's. He pushed her a way a little bit.

"Juushiro?" Saya said, sounding a little hurt.

"Not in your brother's house, Saya. It's not like I don't want to; it just doesn't feel right."

"Oh, okay." Saya said, rejection seeping through her tone.

Ukitake heard it kissed her again. "Didn't you listen to me? I said it's not like I don't want to. I would just like the privacy of my own bed."

Saya smiled a little. "Yes, sir."

Juushiro pulled her in close again. "Now close your eyes, Saya. Rest up for tomorrow."

* * *

Saya woke up holding a pillow. Obviously, Juushiro had put in there in his place. She chuckled to herself and imagined how she had cuddled a pillow all night thinking that it was Ukitake. Her sleep had been dreamless, which she was grateful for because it allowed her to feel very rested.

Saya sat up and stretched her back and arms. She noticed that Tsukiko had already hung up her new uniform. All the graduates were to wear their shikakusho along with a special haori for the event. The haori would be given back right after the ceremony, of course. Saya also noticed that Kamikaze's sheath had been polished and was looking shinier than ever. Even the silver swirls seemed more vivid against the black background.

Saya quickly dressed herself and admired her new look.

_"I think I prefer Ichijin's uniform to this. Well, minus the mask. But this will do. And I doubt that I'll have to do anything has horrific as Ichijin."_ Saya said to her zanpakuto.

_"This does suit you well, Saya-sama. I am happy that you are pleased."_

_"Yes, I'm very pleased. Ne, Hanryo, why don't we try out our new uniform a little before breakfast. We'll be back before anyone even knows we've gone."_

_"Whatever you want, Saya-sama."_

With that Saya snuck out of her window and started flashing across the Sereitei. She wasn't really sure where she was heading, instead just enjoying the brisk pace she set for herself and the way the wind felt as it flew past her face.

She stopped for a second on one of the many roofs to catch her breath. She smiled to herself and closed her eyes as she tilted her head up towards the sun and took in its warmth.

"No wonder Kyouraku-san will be seated. She is very fast with her shunpo."

Saya's eyes shot open and she turned to see the man who had spoken behind her.

"Aizen-taicho! Good morning. I hope I didn't disturb you." She said with a bow.

"No, Kyouraku-san, you didn't. In fact, you were rather quiet. I noticed you a few minutes ago and decided to watch, that's all. It's just convenient that you stopped on my roof."

"Oh? Did I? Forgive me, sir."

"There is nothing to forgive, Kyouraku-san." He said with his usual smile. "If you don't mind my asking, you seemed like you were in another place there for a moment. Do you mind telling me where you went?"

"Oh, not at all taicho. I was just thinking of this dream I had last night. I was dreaming about my parents."

"Akemi and Daisuke? Oh yes, I'm sure your father will be at the graduation celebration today." Aizen answered, a little to quickly. Saya didn't seem to notice.

"No, sir. I mean my real parents."

Saya turned around at that point and didn't notice that Aizen momentarily stiffened.

"I look a lot like my mother." Saya said as she looked out over the Serietei.

"Yes." Aizen said quietly.

"I'm sorry?" Saya said as she turned her head to look at the fifth squad captain once again.

"Nothing, I was just interjecting. Please continue." He said with his friendly smile.

"Oh yes, well, I didn't see my father's face. He was a shinigami though. I could tell by the uniform. They really haven't changed have they?"

"Not since I can remember." Aizen said to Saya's back. If Saya had been looking, she might have noticed his friendly smile revert into the smirk that he so cleverly hid, but she wasn't looking.

"You should get back to your brother, Kyouraku-san. Don't be late for the ceremony. I'll be curious to see what squad you've been placed in."

Saya turned around again to bow properly to the captain before taking off. "Thank you, sir. Until next time." She took off in a flash again.

"Now now, taicho… It's funny how ya' always say things like that when ya' already know tha answer." Said a silver haired fox that had appeared after Saya had left. "And now she's dreamin' 'bout her parents? She must know where she's from."

"She might not realize her connection to it. We can assume that she would have acted on her knowledge in some way if she did."

"Ya think it'll take her long ta' realize, taicho?" Ichimaru asked in his teasing voice and wicked smile.

Aizen simply smiled at Gin and returned below to his offices.

* * *

"Kyouraku, Saya, Squad nine, Seat 13." It was Saya's turn to walk across the stage and receive her diploma from Yamamoto-soutaicho as he read the list of names and the squads that they were to report to the next day. Saya let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She had kept her fingers crossed that she wasn't in squads eleven, twelve, or eight. A little disappointment ran through her when she realized that she wasn't going to be in Aizen's or Ukitake's squads. But she liked Tosen from the short encounters that she had with him, and knew that she would enjoy her place in his squad.

Saya walked a few paces on the stage and then bowed to her taicho. Even though he couldn't see her, he seemed to know the exact moment that she stood erect again because he gave her a small smile and a nod. After that she made her way to Yamamoto and bowed to him before receiving her diploma. Yamamoto did something a little unexpected. He patted her on the head.

"I'm glad that we didn't have any more trouble out of you, Saya-san." He said in a low voice.

Saya noted that he was being rather grandfatherly towards her again, much like the first time they had met. "I'm glad that I wasn't any more trouble for you, Soutaicho." She said with a smile.

"I heard you were able to learn your zanpakuto's name a few days ago. Well done, Saya-san."

"Thank you, sir." She said with another bow and then continued off of the platform. Saya made her way back to her seat and watched the rest of the students get called and placed into their respective squads. She racked her brain, but couldn't think of anyone that she knew in the ninth squad. Kenta had been placed in the eleventh when he had graduated. Kazuki was placed in the sixth division and was given the tenth seat.

After the last name had been called, Yamamoto turned to face the whole of the graduating class. "Well done, all of you. We expect great things from each and every one of you. Each of you have your own unique skills that will benefit the protection squads. Go now and protect those who cannot protect themselves. Make better yourself everyday through your service. Congratulations to our newest Shinigami."

* * *

Saya lay on her brother's roof smiling up at the stars above her and thinking back on her day. After the graduation, Shunsui had a party to celebrate at his manor. Saya's family had been there, along with all her academy friends. Ukitake, Kaien, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Matsumoto and Byakuya had all come too. Aizen stopped by to say hello, along with Tosen, but didn't stay for long. The sake had flown freely and there was plenty of cake. Saya had been amazed at how much Juushiro was able to consume by himself. Tomorrow, she would report as the thirteenth seat to Tosen-taicho and it would be her first official day as a member of the protection squads. She had even found out that all seated officers get their own private quarters. She would have to share a bathroom with one other person, but she didn't mind. It would be a step up from having to share with about forty other people. Everyone had gone home and the house was oddly silent after hours of the boisterous celebration. Shunsui was snoring loudly in his bed last Saya had checked in on him. He, of course, had consumed the largest amount of sake that night. Then, Saya's smile grew a little more once a thought reoccurred to her.

Everyone had gone home.

Quickly and silently, Saya flashed her way to the thirteenth division. She easily snuck past the guards, not that they had much reason to suspect any danger; and grimaced to herself when she realized she was moving much like she had in her dream. She shook off the thought. _I'm definitely not here to kill anyone tonight._ She said to herself.

She landed quietly at the end of a dock that led to a quaint house in the middle of a small lake. Looking around once more to make sure no one was watching, Saya slowly made her way to the house, knocking softly on the door when she reached it.

The door slid open to reveal Juushiro in his nightwear. He was wearing light weight hakama and his kimono top was undone, revealing his pale chest. Saya couldn't help but let her eyes linger and then looked away quickly as a blush crept to her cheeks. Juushiro simply smiled and stepped out of the way to allow her entry.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Juushiro."

"I'm not disturbed. I was doing a little reading is all."

"What are you reading?"

"Just some poetry."

"Will you read one to me?"

Juushiro laughed and pulled Saya down on the small sofa. He put his arm around her shoulders and rested his cheek on her head.

"My greatest joy is not bought in stores,

Or sold in the markets around the town.

They joy that holds me is not of material things,

No, those only seem to weigh me down.

But since you asked me what is my joy,

I will be happy to tell.

It's a female that brings my joy to me,

It was only one look and I fell."

"That hardly seems fair, the poem I read to you was way longer than that." Saya teased.

"I didn't say they were long, did I?"

"You didn't say the were good, either." Saya said back.

Juushiro laughed a little. "No I didn't. You didn't like that poem?"

"No. I prefer the other one much more. It seems like true love. This one seems somewhat fickle and gushy to be true."

"I suppose you're right. Shunsui was never a fan of that one either." Juushiro said as he closed the book and wrapped his now free arm around Saya.

"Are you excited about tomorrow?" Juushiro asked after a few minutes.

"Yes."

"Tosen is a good man. I'm sure you'll be happy in his squad."

"Did you want me in your squad, Juushiro?"

Juushiro sat quietly for a few moments before he answered. "I think it's best that you aren't. I might find you… too distracting." He said as he pulled Saya across his lap.

Saya smiled as she felt Juushiro give her light pecks on her neck and collar bone. She combed her fingers through his hair before grabbing a handful at the base of his scalp when his kisses became a little more passionate.

"What were you saying last night while we were lying in bed? That you wanted to revisit the act in the cave?" Juushiro asked teasingly as he picked Saya up and proceeded to his bedroom. Saya was thankful for the darkness because she could feel the blood rush to her face.

* * *

**Author's note:** Sorry that it took me a little longer to update! I was swept into the world of "Twilight" and I couldn't pull myself away from Edward and Bella long enough to write. I read the 3 books that are out now, along with reserving my copy of the new book due in August. Then, because I was in a vampire sort of mood, I decided to read Vampire Knight (suggested to me awhile ago by firewaterearthwind) and fell in love with that manga so I was busy reading that. So sorry if you went me private messages and emails that I have yet to respond to... My only defense is that I do get totally enthralled into whatever I'm reading, and right now I don't have work to distract me. Plus, I was a little timid to follow up my last chapter, knowing that this one would be more of a "getting gradution and such over with" chapter. There will be a time jump next time.

Thank you to... Kate1221, SheDevil85, DaydreamerMagby, firewaterearthwind, Jovian Green Eyes, Ukitake-chan, Fefisgbf13, Sorry Charlie, rukia23, and Cara-Mae-Chan for your reviews! I'm so happy that everyone was pleased with the last chapter and hope that this chapter was at least satisfying as well. Please take the time to review this chapter! Thank you so much!


	25. Chapter 25: Wedding Bells

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or anything that has to do with the Bleach franchise. :-(

* * *

"What's your name?" A sixteen-year-old looking Saya asked a young boy. She didn't know what it was that intrigued her about this child. It just so happened that a hollow was chasing him when she came through the secret passage that led to this meadow; and she disposed of the demon quickly enough. But this little boy in front of her seemed to be trembling in fear… at her. His brown hair was dirty and matted down in places, his clothes were tattered and too small for him, and his arms and legs were covered with fresh cuts and bruises along with olds ones that were healing. But it was his eyes that captured her interest the most. They weren't exceptional in color, just your regular brown, but they were filled with sadness. Saya couldn't explain it, but she didn't feel like any child should look that sad. She wanted to him to look happy. She wanted to make him happy.

"S-Souta." The scared boy replied quietly. He was shaking from head to toe while Saya approached him.

"Aren't you going to ask me my name?"

"W-What's y-your name?" He sputtered out while trying to choke back tears.

"My name is Saya. Look, I won't hurt you, okay? So stop being afraid."

"But the way you killed that monster… it was scary!"

"Was it? I'm sorry I scared you." Saya said with a smile. "Don't you think it's odd you're afraid of me though? Shouldn't you be thankful that the demon didn't get you?"

Souta looked up at her with tears brimming in his eyes. He had run away from town earlier that day. He was kind of small for his age and everyone was always bullying him because of his size. The adults in town weren't any better and would often blame him if their goods were stolen, even if he wasn't the one to take them. He didn't really trust anyone and he wasn't sure that this girl was any different. She had just popped out of nowhere. Souta had seen the way she smirked before drawing her sword and killing the frightening monster with the white mask. It was like she enjoyed the thought of slaying something. But she did just save his life and right now she didn't seem like that scary girl from just a few minutes ago. Now she seemed nice.

"Here, do you want a snack? I brought some food with me. You look like you're about to starve." Saya said as she reached into her pack and pulled out some rice balls. "Go ahead, I don't need them." She said as she handed them to the little boy.

He hesitantly took them from Saya and then quickly started eating the rice balls. Saya just stared at him for a minute while he inhaled the little bit of food that she had provided, then a small smile spread on her lips. "You were hungry, ne? Slow down a little, you don't want to make yourself sick." She said.

The little boy in front of her turned red with embarrassment as he realized how fast he was eating. "I'm sorry, it's just that I haven't eaten for such a long time. Thank you so much for the food."

"No problem. How old are you, Souta-kun?"

"I'm twelve, in human years anyway."

"Oh, you're kind of small, ne? Where are your parents, Souta-kun?"

"I don't have any." The little boy replied in a small voice. The comment about him being small stung a bit.

"Where do you live?"

"I don't have a home." He said again in the same small voice.

"You don't? That's awful. So, you're all by yourself?"

"I can take care of myself you know! I'm a man so I don't need anyone!" He yelled back at Saya. For a second he thought that she was going to be mad at him and go back to being scary like she was with the monster, but instead she just smiled.

"You must be very grown up to take care of yourself for so long with no one to help you, but everybody needs someone, Souta-kun."

"I… I don't need anyone! I'm fine by myself!" He yelled and got up. He tried to run away but Saya stood in front of him, stopping him from going anywhere.

"Ne, Souta-kun, why are you trying to run away? I save your life, give you food, and now you run away from me? You're hurting my feelings." Saya said teasingly as she shook her finger in his face.

The little boy just glared at her. "Thank you for saving my life and for the rice balls. I need to be going now."

"Going where, Souta-kun? You said you have nowhere to go. Listen to me for a minute, okay? If you don't like what I have to say then you can leave and go back to your horrid existence on the streets of Rukongai." Saya said with a bit of edge to her tone.

Souta thought she was turning scary again and thought it best to listen to what she had to say. "Okay."

"I can tell that you have a fair amount of spiritual pressure and that's probably why that hollow was running after you. You also get hungry, which means you have the ability to become a shinigami. If you come with me, I can train you so that you can become powerful and useful to the king. You can kill monsters like the one I killed. Right now, you're more likely to be killed living in the streets anyway, so it's not like you have anything to lose by coming with me, right? But I won't stop you if you want to run away again. Live penniless on the streets if you want, it doesn't make a difference to me."

"You lie."

"Excuse me?" Saya's tone growing cold.

"I don't know why, but clearly it does make a difference to you otherwise you wouldn't even give me the choice." The little boy choked out, afraid of upsetting the girl in front of him too much. To his surprise she smiled again.

"I guess you're right." Saya said as she bent down to his level. "I want you to come with me, Souta-kun. Will you please?" Saya stretched out her hand towards the young boy hoping that he'd take it.

A little apprehensive at first, but Souta took placed his hand in hers'. He looked up to see her smiling at him and blushed. "Thank you, Souta-kun, let's go home now. You'll have to close your eyes though, no peeking!"

Souta did as he was told and didn't open his eyes again until Saya had told him to. He followed Saya out of the forest and gasped when he saw the expansive castle when they stepped through the trees.

* * *

A young man opened his eyes and stared up at the ceiling. The sun was just rising and the glow came through his window shades. Not wanting to see the light yet, he covered his eyes with his forearm, desperately wanting to return to the dream.

_That was the first time Saya-sama saved me. I had no idea who she was back then. I owe my life to her and now I can never repay my debt._

Souta made his way over to his small private bathroom and washed his face. He looked into the mirror and saw himself looking back. He was no longer the small little boy that Saya had saved. He had grown strong, tall, and handsome. His features were chiseled and his body fit. He was glad that he wasn't a burden on anyone, that he could do what Saya had brought him here to do, even if she was no longer with him.

Saya had been gone for forty years but it didn't make the pain go away. He still thought about her a lot and for some reason, wasn't able to convince himself that she was really dead. Her body had never been found, only her bloody uniform, even her zanpakuto wasn't recovered. A full investigation had been held to find Saya's whereabouts. But all the evidence had pointed to the fact that she had been ambushed by a hoard of hollows and was unable to fend them off. Saya's mother had died the same way, but at least her body was found. Souta had nightmares that Saya had been turned into a hollow, but he realized quickly they would be more likely to consume her spirit energy than simply turn her into one of them. He shook his head to rid himself of the morbid thoughts flowing through his mind. Every morning it was the same.

He finished getting ready, putting on his body-covering uniform before heading out. The only thing that he hadn't put on was his mask. He never did when visiting her. Souta made his way to Saya's family shrine and placed fresh flowers in front of her head stone.

"Good morning, Saya-sama. I dreamt about you last night. It was about the time you saved me, the first time we met. Do you remember? I was so scared of you back then, with good reason, you were quite scary, you know? But you were always so kind to me. I still miss you. Will that feeling ever go away? I know I shouldn't kid myself, but I feel like you're still alive somehow. Do you remember the promise you made to me? It was shortly after you brought me here to serve the king. You said that we would always be by each other's side." Souta stopped for a few minutes and then laughed at himself.

"Forgive me Saya-sama. I'm just dwelling in the past, like I have been for forty years now. I have to go to morning warm-ups now. The new guardian is rather strict about being tardy. Is it funny that I still call her the new guardian, even though she's filled that duty since you left? Just between you and me, she's not nearly as good at it as you were. I guess that's to be expected though, ne? You were born for it and she's just the replacement. Don't tell her that though, she can be almost as scary as you! Anyway, I have to run, Saya-sama! I'll come by and visit you tomorrow."

* * *

Saya was lying awake in bed but didn't feel like opening her eyes. She was trying to remember more about the boy that she had seen in her dream.

_"Hanryo, what happened to that little boy? Did everything turn out okay?"_

_"Hai, Saya-sama. Souta was taken in, after a little pursuasion by you, and trained to be a member of the king's guard. He became very talented."_

_"Oh, good. Hey! This is one of the few times that you've actually given me more information when I've asked for it!"_

It was true, Hanryo still had the annoying habit of not giving Saya extra information when certain memories presented themselves. She heard him laugh in her head.

_"I suppose I must give in from time to time to make Saya-sama happy, ne?"_

_"Thank you, Hanryo."_

It had been twenty years since Saya had graduated and been placed in Tosen-taicho's squad. She had been very happy in his squad and had worked herself up to the fifth seat. A lot of memories had returned, but it seemed like the ones she was most curious about still eluded her. She still hadn't seen her father's face or the face of her attacker from that night. But she managed to figure out that she was one of the king's closest and most trusted subordinates in his personal guard, although she was still unaware of her actual rank within the guard. She didn't have any memories of the King's face, only her grandfathers. Saya had guessed that her grandfather must have been the king's most valued advisor, since it was her grandfather that often told her of the duties to fulfill for the king. She had also remembered that her mother was in the King's guard as well and that Saya had learned most of her skills directly from her mother. It seemed to be a tradition that the daughter in her family take over the mother's duties of helping to protect the king.

Of course, she still had her nightmares of some of the more malicious acts that she committed while serving the king, but Saya was learning how to deal with those memories little by little. Hanryo helped comfort along with Juushiro when she finally told him some of the things she had done. She didn't give him all the details, but did share some of the more graphic memories that came to her. At first she thought that he would turn her away and see her for the monster she felt like from time to time. But he consoled her and loved her even though she had done terrible things and she was grateful to him for that love. She felt he deserved to know some of her nightmares anyway, since it usually meant that she woke him up in the middle of the night as well. Saya used to question why the king's guard didn't find her after she had been attacked. But then again, she wasn't entirely sure that it wasn't one of the guards that tried to kill her that night. She had no desire to return to the king's guard and figured that they must assume she was dead. If she had to assassinate whole families like she had before, she didn't want to return to it anyway. She was happy with the way she was now, and Tosen-taicho was a rather peaceful man.

Saya finally opened her eyes and saw a wall of white in front of her. She smiled to herself and scooted closer to the shinigami she had been sharing a bed with for the last twenty years. Saya threw her arm over Juushiro and buried her face in his snowy hair. Taking a deep breath to fully enjoy his scent, she then let it out with a contented sigh.

"Good morning, Saya." Juushiro said as he grabbed her hand and pulled her arm around him more, making Saya edge even closer to him.

"Good morning, Juushiro." Saya responded back. "I didn't wake you, did I?"

"Not at all." He said while kissing her fingers. "I just didn't want to get up yet."

"Hhmmm. What shall we do today? We could have a picnic by the pond or go for a walk in the woods? It's supposed to be a beautiful day, let's spend it outside, ne?" Saya said.

"Have you forgotten, Saya?"

"Forgotten? Is there something we had planned today?" Saya asked suddenly growing nervous that he had planned something special that had slipped her mind.

Juushiro just chuckled to himself. "The wedding is today."

"Oh that's right, the wedding." Saya said a little relieved and closed her eyes again. Then it hit her. "THE WEDDING!" Saya jumped out of bed and towards Juushiro's private bathroom. Juushiro just laughed to himself again as he watched Saya scramble.

"What time is it? Am I running late? I'm supposed to help Miyako-san get ready! Then I have to get ready myself! Stop laughing, Juushiro! I can't believe I forgot that today is Kaien's wedding! Some friend I am!" Saya yelled as she jumped in the tub.

"Calm down, Saya, you didn't oversleep at all. You don't have to be at Miyako's for another two hours." Juushiro said as he walked into the bathroom after Saya. She was scrubbing frantically trying to rush.

"Oh, I didn't?" She said as she stopped attacking her feet with a pumus stone.

"No, you didn't. So…" Juushiro said as he undressed and stepped into the tub with Saya. "Let's enjoy our morning together. We actually have a little time. Usually you have to head back to your division shortly after waking up. It's been so long since we were able to bathe together." He said as he scooted behind Saya and started washing her back with a sea sponge. Saya was glad that he was behind her, because she could feel the heat coming from her face. She didn't know why he was able to make her blush so easily, even after twenty years.

"Is Byakuya going to be there today?" Juushiro asked, breaking Saya from her thoughts.

"I don't know. Ever since the Shiba family had a falling out with the rest of the noble clans, Byakuya hasn't really spoken to him much. I know he was invited to join in the celebration, but…"

"It won't ruin your time, will it?" Juushiro asked. Saya had grown close to both Kaien and Byakuya since entering the protection squads. The falling about between them affected her as well.

"No, but it's hard to watch two people that you care about suddenly act so cold towards each other. Well, it's more Byakuya than Kaien. Byakuya is much more conservative and traditional than Kaien, so it's not surprising that he shuns the Shiba clan now. But still…"

Juushiro wrapped his arms around Saya and placed his chin on her shoulder. "I know it's upsetting for you, Saya. But today is for Kaien and Miyako. Don't bring it up if you can help it."

Saya sighed and sank back against Juushiro. "I won't."

* * *

"Saya-chan! There you are!" Matsumoto said cheerfully as Saya entered Miyako's dressing area.

"Yes, sorry. Am I late?" Saya asked while shutting the door behind her. She and Juushiro ended up spending a little extra time in the tub, but she thought that she was still running on time.

"No, I've just been looking forward to this day! I could hardly sleep last night I was so excited, what about you?" Matsumoto boomed.

"Uh, yeah, me too!" Saya said with a smile. She didn't tell Matsumoto that she hasn't remembered when she woke up this morning. But Matsumoto's excitement was infectious and soon Saya was almost as giddy as she was.

"Thank you so much for helping me. I feel like you two are the ones who brought Kaien and me together, so I wanted to show my appreciation by letting you help me get ready for the day." Miyako said in her sweet voice as she entered the room.

"We're happy to help!" Both Saya and Matsumoto said together.

"Come on, Miyako. Let's start with the make-up." Matsumoto said.

"Alright." She said with a smile as she sat down. Saya and Matsumoto started to paint her skin with the white cream. It was tradition that the bride be painted in white from head to toe on her wedding day. Saya, although liking tradition in a lot of ways, secretly thought to herself that this was something that should be done away with. After they were done with her skin, they painted her lips red and placed pink rouge on her cheekbones. Matsumoto finished Miyako's eyes while Saya looked on and smiled.

"You look like the perfect bride, Miyako-san!" Saya said while handing her a mirror.

Miyako took the mirror and smiled at her reflection. "Kaien will be please, ne?" She said.

"Of course he will." Matsumoto said. "You make the prettiest bride, Miyako-san!"

Saya and Matsumoto helped Miyako into her traditional white kimono, ornamented headpiece, and hood. She looked ever so much like the obedient bride in her traditional wedding attire.

"I'll be sure to have the red kimono waiting for you to change into before the reception starts, okay?" Matsumoto said as she grabbed the elaborate kimono, the second one that Miyako was to wear that day. She would wear the white one for the ceremony and then change into the red one for the celebration afterwards.

"Thank you both, so much. I really appreciate all the help. My mother should be here soon, so you can go and she'll help me finish with anything else. I'll see you at the ceremony!" Miyako said with her sweet smile.

"Good luck, Miyako-san!" Saya said as she followed Matsumoto out of the dressing room and then ran back to Juushiro's house as quickly as she could to get ready herself. She had forced herself to choose one kimono to wear the night before because she knew it would be best if she didn't have choices today. She brushed the waves out of her hair so that it fell straight and reached just below her shoulder blades.

Once Saya had put on her blue kimono and yellow obi, she went out to the living area where Juushiro was sitting. Juushiro had already finished getting ready and was paitiently waiting for Saya to finish. She looked at him while he read one of his many books and thought that he looked so handsome in his formal kimono. It was a dark forest green color. He tied his hair back into a low ponytail, which Saya liked best and didn't understand why he didn't wear it that way more often.

"I'm ready." She said.

Juushiro promptly snapped the book shut and rose from the sofa. "Shall we go?" He said as he offered her his arm.

"Shunsui is meeting us at the shrine, correct?" Saya asked as they started down the boardwalk.

"Yes, I think he's forced Ise-san to be his date."

"Sometimes I don't think he has to try too hard." Saya mumbled as she started thinking about how, at times, she would swear Nanao enjoyed Shunsui's advances. Well, actually Nanao probably didn't like those types of advances; but Saya took note that she would blush from time to time when he did something genuinely nice for Ise-san. "Miyako looks very pretty as a bride, Juushiro."

"I'm sure she does. Have you ever been to a wedding before, Saya?"

"Not that I know of."

"Well, it'll be a treat for you then. Weddings are always pleasant and you can't help but feel the happiness and love in the day."

Saya smiled and leaned her head on Juushiro's arm for a bit while they walked towards the temple near the center of the Sereitei. That was where most shinigami got married. It was relatively easy for the soldiers to get married there, especially if their bride was a shinigami as well. Although, some couples did still get married at a family shrine or a temple within Rukongai. Kaien and Miyako both agreed that the Sereitei Shrine would be most appropriate and the reception was going to take place in the thirteenth division on the training grounds. Most of the squad members had help put up enormous tents and had strung lights everywhere. Saya and Matsumoto were in charge of flowers and they had managed to turn the training grounds into a fairy tale sort of garden. Saya was sure that the wedding would be nice, but she was looking forward to the party afterwards the most.

Saya also noted the beautiful weather for the day. It was the beginning of springtime in the Sereitei and the cherry blossoms were out in full bloom. The color of the blue sky, the green of the grass, and the blooms on all the plants seemed to paint a wonderfully romantic picture for Kaien and Miyako's special day. It was the most wonderful time to celebrate the union of two people who loved each other.

"Good, Shunsui remembered to save us places." Juushiro said once they stepped inside the shrine.

Saya snapped out of her daze and looked to see her brother, still wearing his flamboyant pink kimono, waving to get their attention. Juushiro led her over to sit beside her brother and Nanao. Once seated, Saya looked around to take in the scene before her. First she noticed that red roses were everywhere. The shrine practically looked like rose garden on the inside due to the dozens and dozens of bouquets and arrangements that littered it. Dozens of while candles were also placed in several areas around the temple as well. Everyone seemed to be happy and smiling while they were waiting for the ceremony to start. Saya made eye contact with Matsumoto, who looked thrilled to be sitting next to Ichimaru-fukutaicho, and smiled at them. But she was rather surprised when she saw Byakuya among the crowd. She had been sure that he wouldn't show up, but was rather glad that he did. Even though he and Kaien weren't getting along that well at the moment, Saya knew that Kaien would appreciate him being there.

Kaien made his way to the front near the altar to wait with the monk. Saya thought that he looked somewhere in between incredibly elated and extremely nauseated. She was sure to give him a wink and a small smile when he looked at her. Kaien only managed half a smile back and then started to fidget nervously while waiting for Miyako to make her entrance into the temple.

Soon, Miyako joined Kaien at the altar and the ceremony began.

"First, the priest will perform the purification ritual." Juushiro whispered to Saya.

She watched with interest as the priest waved incense around the couple and then shook what looked like an odd feather duster over their heads. Juushiro assured Saya that it was a traditional instrument used to "cleanse their auras and ready their spirits to become one with each other." Saya just nodded.

Next, the priest had the members from Kaien's family and Miyako's family stand and face each other. "Marriage isn't just about the joining of two people, it's the joining of two families. Both families take a vow to accept and love each other as Miyako and Kaien have accepted and love each other." Juushiro whispered. Again, Saya watched this particular part of the ceremony with interest and enjoyed how the families bowed to the couple before taking their seats again.

"Finally, the san-san-kudo. This is Shunsui's favorite part. You'll understand why if you just watch." Juushiro said quietly with an amused looked on his face. Saya returned her attention to the couple and watched as Miyako and Kaien poured sake and then took turns drinking from the "unity" cup. Nine sips each. She smiled to herself, now understanding Juushiro's meaning. Stealing a quick glance at her brother, Saya had to hold back a chuckle after she saw him lick his lips.

Miyako and Kaien walked hand in hand out of the shrine and led the procession back towards the thirteenth division. It seemed like hundreds of people were already at the reception and applauded and cheered the happy couple as they made their way down to the decorated training grounds. The bride and groom were all smiles as they greeted their guests and received their gifts and blessings.

"You and Matsumoto really did wonders, Saya. This place looks amazing. If I didn't know better, I'd think we were in the middle of some elaborate garden retreat." Juushiro said as he looked around.

Saya blushed at his compliment. "It's really due to your soldiers. They did most of the grunt work. Rangiku and I just bossed them around."

"Saya-chan, this place looks lovely!" Shunsui said as he handed her and Juushiro cups of sake. "Drink up! Tonight is for celebrating and wedding sake is always the best! To the bride and groom!" He toasted as he raised his cup high. He downed it in one gulp then went to go refill it immediately.

"Um, Ise-san, you will take care of my brother, won't you?" Saya asked.

Nanao just sighed a little before nodding her head. "Of course, he is my captain." She followed after him a few minutes later. Nanao knew that she was in for a night of babysitting her taicho and keeping his lecherous conduct at bay. There were plenty of young pretty maidens around that would spike his interest so she would have to be extra watchful.

Saya smiled after Nanao and her brother, but was brought back to herself when she felt a strong arm wrap itself around her waist.

"Let's go and congratulate the happy couple, ne?" Juushiro whispered into her ear.

"Uh, yes." _Damn! How can he still make me blush so?_

Saya and Juushiro made their way to Miyako and Kaien. They gave them their congratulations and blessings. Kaien told them that they would be spending their honeymoon at a reclusive retreat in the mountains to the north and would be leaving first thing in the morning. It looked like the thirteenth division would have to due without its fukutaicho and third seated officer for a few weeks, but Juushiro told them that they didn't need to rush back and to enjoy their honeymoon together.

Much like the first part of the day, it seemed like everything about the night was going splendidly. The food was delicious, the sake flowed freely, and the music was cheerful. Miyako and Kaien were happy amongst their friends and family that came to celebrate their union and happy just to be together. They led the group in several dances and the celebration lasted to the early hours of next morning.

Miyako and Kaien finally made their exit to enjoy some private time together as husband and wife. It didn't take long for everything else to wind down and others to depart as well. It was then that Saya started to feel the full effects of the copious amounts of sake she had drank over the course of the night. Her head was spinning and everyone seemed to have a twin all of a sudden. She looked around to see two Juushiros helping two Nanaos take care of two Shunsuis.

_It would take four people to take of two of him._ Saya thought to herself.

_"Saya-sama drank too much sake. She's drunk."_ An amused zanpakuto spirit teased.

_"I would normally try to disagree with you, but you're most certainly correct. Oh, I feel awful! I think I'm going to make my way down to the lake. Maybe the cool breeze off of the water will help me feel better."_

_"Be careful Saya-sama. The last thing we need is you falling into the water and drowning. Think about how sad the pretty white-haired taicho would feel."_

_"Shut-up."_

Saya wobbled her way to the lakeshore and plopped, ever so ungracefully, down by the water. She decided that lying down might be an even better idea. Well, she decided that after she had already fallen over on her side. Saya didn't know how long she had been in the grass when she felt someone pick her up bridal style and start carrying her along a wooden dock.

"Juushiro?" She asked while snuggling close to the man that picked her up. She hadn't even opened her eyes to see his face, but that didn't matter. Saya knew Juushiro's presence as well as she knew her own.

"Silly girl. You went off by yourself. What if you had been attacked or something? In your condition I doubt you could have done much to defend yourself." Juushiro chided a little, but he wasn't really mad. He had never really been mad at Saya.

"I'm sorry I made you worry." Saya said. "Thank you, for taking care of me." By the end of her sentence Saya had already fallen back into her sake slumber. Juushiro just smiled and shook his head at the girl in his arms.

Changing her clothes would be too much of a hassle, but he did manage to get off her outer layers so that she could sleep more comfortably in her thin, inner kimono. Juushiro laid Saya gently on his bed and kissed her forehead.

"Mmm, Juushiro." Saya whispered in her sleep.

This made Juushiro smile again and so he kissed her gently on the lips, careful not to wake her up, and then laid down beside her and listened to her deep breaths while she slept.

"It'll be okay." Saya started to talk again. Juushiro listened to what she was saying and wondered what she was dreaming about, and if she was still thinking of him. It wasn't often that Saya talked in her sleep, so he was rather amused by it at the moment.

"Don't worry, because I'm here." She said.

_Clearly she's talking to someone. _Juushiro thought to himself.

"I want to see you happy."

_I wonder if she's talking to me in her dream?_

"We will always be together, I promise. We will always be by each other's side."

A smile spread on Juushiro's lips. _She must be dreaming about me, who else would she say something like that to?_

_"_Okay, Souta-kun?"

* * *

Author's note: Thank you to Kate1221, firewaterearthwind, Cara-Mae-Chan, DaydreamerMagby, Bleacheese, SheDevil85, rukia23, Fefisgbf13, Kairi-senpai, SorryCharlie, Ukitake-chan, and GermanBubbles for taking the time to post a review and/or comment for the last chapter. As always, they are much appreciated!

This chapter was to mainly introduce the new OC, who was obviously a big part of Saya's past life. Also, I wanted to write Kaien and Miyako's wedding. I don't think that it came out as well as I would have liked, but my chapters always seem to be so long anymore, and to be honest, I wasn't up to spending a great amount of detail on their wedding. So my apologies if you were hoping for something big an extravagant for them, but my brain wouldn't allow more than what I ended up with. So I hope no one is too disappointed. Also, I know that I used Shrine and Temple a lot to describe the same thing... I don't think that those words are necessarily interchangeable like how I used them, but I thought that would be better than just using the same word so many times.

Here is where I ask my readers to please take time to post a review of this chapter. Please take time to post a review. Thank you so much!


	26. Chapter 26: Hurt Feelings

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or anything that has to do with the Bleach franchise. :-(

* * *

Juushiro just looked at his lover in disbelief. She was lying there in his bed, fast asleep, dreaming about some other man. Not only that, but she had promised this other man that they'd always be together. Who was this Souta? Jealousy wasn't an emotion that Juushiro often felt, especially not when it came to Saya. She had never given him a reason to be jealous, but now he was feeling hurt, confused, and even envious of this unknown person.

Not feeling like laying next to Saya at that moment, Juushiro went into the main part of the house and sat down on the sofa. He stared at nothing while a million different scenarios ran through his head.

_Surely she's not speaking of someone she knows now? I know all of the people that Saya familiarizes herself with and I have never heard of this 'Souta.' Besides she stays here with me almost every night, and has for the last twenty years. No actually, if I were being honest with myself I'd have to admit that I don't know all of the men that Saya knows. She has many friends in the ninth division that I am unaware of. Could it be one of her subordinates? No, I can't see Saya ever betraying me like that. She wouldn't, would she?_

No longer being able to sit with his thoughts, Juushiro started to pace the room. The emotions coursing through his body made him feel uneasy. He tried to reassure himself that it was all a misunderstanding and that he was just jumping to conclusions. _Maybe I misunderstood her? Yes, perhaps she said 'Shiro' instead of 'Souta.' But she's never called me just 'Shiro' before… No, she clearly said the other name._

_"Master should calm down and wait to discuss this matter with his Saya." _Twin fish sang as they jumped in and out of waves in Juushiro's mind.

_"I know, I know. Why am I so bothered by this? Saya herself doesn't know all of her past and it wouldn't be unreasonable to think that she was involved with someone else before her accident. Although, I'm sure I have been her only lover."_

_"Master has had other lovers before he met his Saya. She doesn't hold it against you."_ The fish sang out again.

_"Yes, but I haven't said their names in my sleep!"_ Juushiro retorted quickly. He sighed and attempted to calm his emotions and thoughts once more. _"I'm sorry, I know you are only trying to help."_

_"Master should try to get some sleep."_

_"Of course. I will ask Saya about this when she wakes up."_ Juushiro walked back into his room and looked at Saya's sleeping figure on the bed. She was no longer talking in her sleep; her deep breathing being the only sound that broke the silence of the room. The moonlight washed over her face and Juushiro couldn't help but think how beautiful she looked, so peaceful and vulnerable in that moment. His eyes lingered on her supple lips, just barely parted as she slept. It made him sick to think that any but his lips had touched them. He shook his head once more to rid himself of the jealous creature lurking in his thoughts. Grabbing a blanket from the linen closet and a pillow from his bed, he made his way back out to the sofa.

* * *

Juushiro didn't sleep well that night. His thoughts were constantly going back to what Saya had said. When he dreamt, it was about Saya embracing some faceless man and turning her back on him, Juushiro. After hours of fighting the sleep battle he wasn't going to win, Juushiro decided to get up. He threw off his makeshift bedding and walked back into his room. The sunlight didn't make much of an impact through the dark blinds in his room where Saya lay sleeping, just as peaceful looking as she had the night before. Juushiro dressed himself quietly throwing frequent glances at Saya. He knew that it would be awhile before she slept off all the sake she had consumed the night before and he didn't want to stay in his small house, trapped with his thoughts.

_I'll go visit Shunsui. At least I can ask one Kyouraku questions while the other sleeps. He's better at drinking than Saya, chances are he's up, or at least easily roused._

* * *

Juushiro wasn't altogether surprised when he walked into the eighth divison headquarters to see Shunsui snoring on the couch while Ise-san was working on paperwork. He smiled at his friend and then at Nanao.

"Good morning, Ukitake-taicho. Is there anything I can do for you?" Nanao asked after giving him a small bow.

"No, I just need to borrow your captain for a little bit, but thank you."

"I'm sure you'll have better luck waking him than I usually do. I need to go run some of these papers to other divisions anyway. If I don't see you again, have a good day, Ukitake-taicho."

"And you as well, Ise-fukutaicho." Juushiro bowed as Nanao walked passed.

Juushiro stared at his friend for a few more moments. "Shunsui, you're not fooling anyone with that fake snoring. Now wake up." Juushiro said as he kicked the cushions under Shunsui to give him a little jostle.

A huge smile spread on Shunsui's face as he lifted his straw hat off of his head. "How'd you know?"

"We shared a dorm room for six years in academy. I know the difference between your real snores and your fake ones. I'm surprised Ise-san hasn't learned to differentiate them yet." Juushiro laughed a little after his comment, but the fake smile he wore didn't fool his best friend.

"What's wrong, Juushiro?" Shunsui said, his tone growing a little more serious.

"I don't really think anything is _wrong_, Shunsui. It's just that… I'm bothered by something." Juushiro answered while looking down at the floor. He had positioned himself next to Shunsui on the couch, but didn't lean back in the lazy position his friend was currently in. Juushiro sat on the edge, leaned over with his elbows on his knees.

"Something to do with Saya-chan?" Shunsui asked again.

Juushiro just nodded before going on. "Have you ever heard of someone by the name of Souta?"

"Souta?" Shunsui repeated while trying to place the name. "Isn't that one of Saya's friends from town? I think they played together when she lived with my father."

Juushiro looked back at Shunsui who was currently rubbing his chin. _So it is someone she knows now?_ Juushiro panicked when he realized that there may be a very real threat to his and Saya's relationship.

"Oh no, no, no. That's Miroku I'm thinking of. Hmm… don't know why I got confused, the names don't even sound the same, do they? Oh well. Let's see, I've never heard of a Souta before." Shunsui said.

Juushiro's face dropped, he didn't know if he wanted to hug or hit his friend. Shunsui saw his expression and tried to become a little more serious again. "Why, who is he?"

"I don't know. But Saya… she said his name last night in her sleep."

"At least she didn't say it while you were making love." Shunsui said as he gave Juushiro a cheesy smile. Juushiro had wished Nanao was there at the moment, he knew that she would have hit Shunsui for a comment like that.

"Please be serious, Shunsui. In her sleep, she said that she wanted to make him happy and that they'd always be together."

Shunsui heard the hurt tone of his friend's voice and dropped his face into a sincere smile. "Juushiro, I doubt this Souta person is someone you need to feel threatened by. Perhaps she did say something like that to him, but it doesn't look like he cared enough to find her after she was hurt. For all you know he could be dead now. It may even be a family member. I could see myself making a similar promise like that to Saya, promising to always stick beside her. You know her past usually comes to her in her dreams, most likely this Souta is from her past. Honestly, I don't see why you're so worried. Have you not seen the way my sister looks at you? The king himself could walk down the street and make her an offer of marriage that she couldn't refuse, but she would refuse it because she only has eyes for you. I thought you smarter than this, Juushiro."

Juushiro laughed at Shunsui's last sentence. He appreciated his words and already felt better. If anyone could put things in perspective for him, it was Shunsui and vice versa.

"Now, is there anything else? Something that you _should_ be worrying about?" Shunsui teased.

Juushiro just smiled at his friend. "No, and thank you, Shunsui. I think I'll go back to Saya now. Hopefully she's awake and I can finish this conversation with her."

"Good idea. Now go quickly, I hope to be asleep before Nanao-chan gets back."

* * *

Saya woke up and rolled over expecting Juushiro to be there to cuddle next to. Instead, she rolled over to an empty side of the bed. With her eyes still closed, she felt around with her hand to make sure she wasn't mistaken. No she wasn't, Juushiro wasn't there and his side of the bed was cold meaning he hadn't been there for awhile. She opened one eye and lifted her head off of the pillow to scan the dark room.

"He's not here?" She said to herself. "Maybe he's out in the living room?" She gave herself false hope, although already knowing the answer because the presence she wanted couldn't be felt.

Literally rolling out of bed and onto the floor, Saya eventually found her feet and shuffled her way out into the main room. She squinted her eyes against the light of the sun pouring through the windows. "Juushiro?" As expected, Saya received silence as her answer. She sat herself down on the couch and pouted slightly. Juushiro had never just left her before. If he had to leave for work earlier than she had to get up he would always nudge her and give her a good bye kiss. She didn't remember him doing that this morning.

_Well, I was rather intoxicated last night. Maybe I don't remember him saying goodbye? _But that didn't sit well with Saya. Something didn't feel right about this. She tried to think over the night before. _Did we have a fight? No, I definitely would have remembered that._ Unease settled in around her. She tried to shake the feeling and convince herself that she was just being paranoid, but her instincts told her otherwise.

Saya started to rub her temples as a headache set in and debated if a bath or coffee would be better to start off her day; after a few minutes, the bath won. She sat in the deep tub with her legs pulled against her chest, resting her chin on her knees. Her eyes were closed as she took in deep breaths, letting the steam from the water help loosen her aching head. The uneasiness that had set in from earlier still hadn't left her and she ran through her memory from the night before, what parts of it she had anyway.

_I'm just being silly._ Saya tried to tell herself. _Post-sake paranoia. _

Hearing noises, Saya got out of the tub and wrapped a towel around her. She didn't bother putting on a robe, sensing no one other than Juushiro in the house. She found him in the kitchen making coffee. Before he could turn to greet her, Saya had snaked her arms up and around his shoulders. She pressed her forehead between his shoulder blades and felt like she never wanted to let go.

"I'm so glad you're here." Saya said in a sad voice. "I can't explain it, but I was so worried when I woke and found you gone. Juushiro has never left me like that before. Juushiro has always said goodbye. Now that you're here I'm afraid to let you go because I don't want you to leave me again."

Juushiro listened to what Saya said and guilt started to settle in on him. Here he was, worrying that she was in love with someone else, and his absence caused her pain. _She really thought that I had _left_ her?_ He started silently chastising himself for his actions.

"I was afraid that I did something to displease you. If I have, please tell me so that I may right it." Saya said again, pressing herself closer to Juushiro.

Juushiro turned and wrapped his arms around Saya, pulling her into him. "Forgive me, Saya."

"But you _are_ upset about something?"

Juushiro grabbed Saya shoulders and pushed her away enough so that he could look into her eyes. The only things he saw in them were worry and concern. He also saw that she was in nothing but a towel. _She didn't even take the time to get dressed before she came to me? I must have really caused her to worry._ Juushiro sighed. "Saya, I have to ask you something... Who is Souta?"

"Souta?" Saya repeated. The dream from the other night came back to her. Had she mentioned him to Juushiro without telling him the rest of the story? Although Saya was curious as to why Juushiro was asking about him and why he seemed so upset about it, she decided that she should answer him first and then ask her own questions later.

"I'm not sure exactly. I dreamt about him the other night. He was a little boy that I saved from being killed by a hollow. He was small for his age and bullied a lot. In my dream, he told me he was twelve, but he looked about nine to me. After I saved him, I remember that I took him with me. That's all that I remember about Souta-kun."

Juushiro raised an eyebrow and then tried to put on an impassive face. "That's all you remember? You've only dreamt about him once?"

"Yes, that's all I remember and yes, only once." Saya said, looking back at Juushiro a little confused. "I don't understand, why are you asking?"

"Last night in your sleep you were talking to him."

"Was I?" Saya tried to remember her dreams from the night before, but nothing came to mind. She didn't remember her dreams or even if she had any at all.

"You… you promised to always be together with him." Juushiro said quietly, looking away from Saya as he spoke.

It was starting to dawn on her as to why she had an uneasy feeling and why Juushiro acted the way he did. She didn't remember if she had dreamt about Souta last night and she wouldn't have known if she was talking in her sleep, all she knew now was the she inadvertently hurt Juushiro's feelings and felt awful for it.

"Juushiro, I'm sorry. I don't know what to say. I don't remember any memories of him other than the one I told you about. I don't know what my relationship was with him. But what does that matter now? All I know, is that I want you and no one would be able to convince me otherwise. Please don't be angry at me for things that _I _can't even remember from my past." Saya wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her head in his chest. "Please, Juushiro. I love you. What matters is us, right now, doesn't it? What about the promise I made to you twenty years ago? Does that mean nothing to you? I meant what I said then, no other man."

Saya looked up at him with tears in her eyes. Guilt was now the only emotion Juushiro was experiencing. Again, he chided himself for acting so foolishly. He had no reason to doubt Saya or himself. He bent down and gave her a gentle kiss. "Forgive me for being an old fool. It was hard for me to think of you with anyone else. I believe you."

Saya smiled and as tears started to run down her cheeks and she quickly wiped them away.

"But I'm going to have to apologize in advance, now." Juushiro said, still sounding serious.

"What do you mean?"

"Well Saya, it looks like you've already cleaned yourself… but I'm afraid I'm going to have to dirty you up again." He said as a mischievous smile spread across his face. Saya felt herself blush as Juushiro grabbed her, led her to the bedroom, and pushed her down on his bed. _I know she meant her promise, but it wouldn't hurt to remind her _why_ she wants only me._

* * *

Saya watched as her lover's bare chest rose and fell with each breath. Having not gotten much rest in the night, Juushiro fell asleep quickly after their stretch of lovemaking. Usually in this position, Saya be wearing a small smile, but no smile graced her lips. However, she didn't wear a frown either. She simply stared at Juushiro as the words they shared a few hours earlier played through her head.

Saya tried to understand why Juushiro acted the way he did by putting herself in his position. She guessed that she would have been extremely hurt as well; no one wants to hear his or her lover speak the name of another. But now she was curious about Souta as well. She had actually been satisfied with Kamikaze's answer before; that he had been taken in by the guard. Thinking about it now, the answer seemed rather vague.

_"Does Saya-sama wish to ask me something?"_ Hanryo teased. Saya could see him sitting underneath "their" tree, playing with a foxglove that he picked, the wind whipping his hair playfully.

_"What was my relationship with Souta-kun?"_ Saya asked the other part of herself.

_"Does it matter, Saya-sama?"_

_"It matters to me."_

_"Even though you have the pretty captain, who may I remind you, is laying next to you as we have this conversation about another man?"_

_"I know, but now I'm curious. I don't remember the dream that I had in which I promised to always be by his side, but clearly this Souta was an important person to me. I want to know what my relationship with him was like."_

_"If I told you that you were more than just close friends, would it change the way you feel about your captain there?"_

_"No. I love Juushiro and will always love him."_

Hanryo took a minute to smell the flower in his hand before answering Saya. _"He was incredibly important to you. You never allowed your relationship to become physical, but you were two were closer than just friends. How could you not be though? You were with each other every day, always together. If you found one, you found the other. The only times he wasn't with you was when the king sent you on your lone missions or when you snuck out by yourself. Otherwise, Souta was always by your side._

_"When he was still young and much smaller than you, you would sit with him between your knees and hug him from behind, sometimes for hours, and tell him old legends and fairy tales. Eventually, he grew too big for that and you would lean on him. There were many nights that other guard members found you two in one of the gardens, you asleep in his lap. You protected him until he was able to protect himself. Then you protected each other._

_"I don't think that I can explain the bond you had. It was different than the union you have with Juushiro or the attachment you have to Shunsui, but just as important."_

Saya kept her eyes on Juushiro as she tried to search for any other memories of Souta. Although no images came to mind, the feelings she felt for him slowly surfaced. She remembered how much she cared for him, how much he meant to her. She could feel the love she held for him, not the same as the love she felt for Juushiro, but still it was love. She didn't see him as just a friend, but didn't love him like a brother in the way she loved Shunsui. No, even Saya was unable to explain the bond she felt for Souta. He was her best friend and confidant. He showed the utmost of loyalty towards her, happy to serve her, whatever her demands. She could tell that, in her past life, he had been the only one to receive her true kindness that never seemed to be present in her memories.

Closing her eyes didn't help; the tears still flowed out from behind her lids. Saya hadn't returned to the king's realm because she felt she had nothing to return for. She didn't want to be used as the king's personal assassin and was happy that they hadn't found her in her new life. But she couldn't help but feel weighed down by the guilt of knowing that Souta was there, living without her. But along with guilt, was the pain of thinking that he hadn't looked for her when she went missing.

_"No, Souta-kun would have definitely tried to find me. He just wasn't able to, that's all."_

_"Saya-sama, I thought you said it wouldn't change the way you feel."_

_"IT DOESN'T!" _Saya snapped at her zanpakuto. She saw him raise a curious eyebrow at her. Taking a few breaths to calm herself, _"Don't give me that look. It doesn't change the way I feel about Juushiro."_

_"What are you going to do?"_

_"I'm going to stay here. I want to be with Juushiro. I'll never go back to the King's Realm willingly. I know that I love Souta, but I don't love him the same way. Besides, I don't care to be treated like the king's personal assassin. I'm happy here and so I will stay."_

_"Someday, Saya-sama, you might not have the choice."_

Saya could feel the tears surge forth with new vigor as she felt the truth behind Hanryo's words.

"Saya!" Juushiro exclaimed. He was woken up by her stifled sobs and had been surprised to wake up to her crying.

Saya allowed herself to be taken into his arms and held on to him tighly, all while mentally screaming at herself for allowing her emotions to take control of her body so easily.

"Saya, are you okay?" He asked as he held her tightly against his chest.

"Forgive me, Juushiro. I'm just being foolish. I was just thinking that I am happy to be here with you and that nothing could change that, I swear. I love you very much. Please don't be mad at me." She chocked out between sobs. It wasn't the whole truth, but it was all she could share.

"I love you too, silly girl." Juushiro said as he kissed her head. "Here I thought that it was something serious."

Saya just laughed a little as she pressed herself as close as physically possible to her Juushiro.

* * *

Author's Note: **Request!** If any of my reader's are able to draw (I can't to save my life!) would someone mind drawing me a picture of Juushiro and Saya? I would be ever-so-grateful! firewaterearthwind drew me a black and white of Saya, which I love and she even made Saya and Juushiro sims! Which are watching tv and you can check them out as my icon on my profile page. But if anyone wouldn't mind drawing me a picture I would really appreciate it! By no means is this a "IT MUST BE DONE!" demand or anything, just curious... and hopeful! If you'd like, I'll even write you a one-shot... pairing your choice! (thought I'd throw in a bribe for good measure!)

Thank you to firewaterearthwind, Kairi-senpai, SorryCharlie, Cara-mae-chan, DaydreamerMagby, Fefisgbf13, GermanBubbles, rukia23, Ukitake-chan, and Bleacheese for reviewing!

To all my readers, please take the time to post! Thank you so much!


	27. Chapter 27: Promotion and a New Noble

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or anything that has to do with the Bleach franchise. :-( but I think that this point, I should own at least a little bit of Ukitake... just kidding!

* * *

"Oto-san! We are so happy to meet you! We are sorry you had to wait for us!" Saya stopped just behind her father, waiting for him to turn and face her. "Oto-san isn't mad, is he?" She asked.

"No, my little Saya. I'm very happy to meet you too." He said as he turned his head slightly. The moonlight only illuminated the bottom half of his face on which he wore a kind smile.

Saya's dream stopped abruptly and her eyes shot open against her will. "DAMMIT!" She yelled out as flailed her arm violently in irritation, accidentally smacking Juushiro in the process.

"OUCH! What was that for?" It was Juushiro's turn to scream out.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to hit you. I was just upset."

Juushiro sat up, rubbing his nose, and stared at Saya. "Were you not able to finish that dream with your father again?"

"Yes, I mean no. I mean, right." Saya said. "I really am sorry about your face." She said as she leaned towards Juushiro and gave him a kiss.

"Hhhmmm… well it's feeling better already." He said as he made Saya kiss him a few more times as an apology. "Are you excited about today?"

"Nervous."

"You'll be fine. Besides, you're already friends with most of them anyway."

"I know. I just hope that I can do a good job for Tosen-taicho."

Juushiro smiled at Saya. Despite her talent and hard work, she always worried that she wouldn't do well enough. He couldn't help but wonder if she had been like that before. Even when Saya had finished her academy studies early, she didn't feel like she deserved to be allowed in to the protection squads because she hadn't learned her zanpakuto's name yet. Well, Juushiro had helped with that.

"Stop worrying, you're a natural." Juushiro grabbed Saya's hand and started to lead her out of the bed. He hadn't taken three steps when a violent coughing fit caught him off guard and he collapsed to the floor.

"Juushiro!" Saya cried out as she grabbed a nearby towel to hand him. She watched as the white terry cloth slowly became saturated with the scarlet fluid that forced itself from Juushiro's lungs.

"Sor-(cough)-ry, Saya. (cough) I wasn't expect-(cough)-ing such a sudden (cough) onset."

Saya helped Juushiro back into bed. "Don't worry about it. I'll bring in some water and a cold compress for you head." Saya left the room to gather water, rags, and compresses for Juushiro. It didn't take her much time, she had learned long ago where the necessary items were for Juushiro's sick times. She laid them next to Juushiro's bed and placed the cold pack on his head.

"And I'll tell Kaien that you're not feeling well. Did I forget anything?"

"No. Thank you, Saya. (cough) Get ready for your day." Juushiro coughed a few more times but Saya was happy to see that no blood came up this time.

She didn't want to spend much time getting herself ready, knowing that she still had to inform Kaien that Juushiro was ill. Saya said goodbye to Juushiro and gave him quick kisses on his cheeks, which she noticed were warm with fever, and ran out the door. She hated leaving Juushiro alone when he was sick, but knew that he liked it that way. It made him feel like he was a burden when someone stayed by him and it wasn't like anyone could do much for him anyway. Besides, Juushiro had been dealing with his sickness for much longer than he and Saya had been together. Kaien would check up on him, or send someone else throughout the day and then she would try to finish her work early so that she could home and be with him the rest of the night.

"Enter." Kaien's voice called out after Saya had knocked. "Oh hey there Saya! Are you excited about today?"

"Nervous, more like."

"What do you have to be nervous about? You have me as a role model, so you'll be fine."

Saya rolled her eyes at one of her best friends. "Look, Kaien-kun, I don't have much time. Juushiro is ill so you'll need to check up on him, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, but because of the thing today I won't be here much. There are a couple of newbie's that have been steadily working their way up the ranks. I'm sure they'll take good care of Ukitake-taicho."

"Oh? Who are they?"

"Their names are Kiyone and Sentarou. They should be fine."

"Alright." Saya said; she didn't recognize the names but there was no reason to question Kaien's judgment about these things. "Just remind them that he likes it silent when he's not feeling well and not to cause him any unnecessary stress, okay? I'll see you later then!"

The ninth and thirteenth divisions weren't located far from each other and Saya started to dash off towards her own. If one were to take the usual route, without the use of flash, they could count on a twenty minute walk; but after twenty-five years, Saya knew the best shortcuts to take and if she used shunpo, she made the twenty minute walk into a five minute morning warm-up.

"Good morning, Tosen-taicho." Saya said as she entered the division headquarters.

"Good morning, Saya-san. I felt you coming this way, you've gotten very fast over the years." Kaname spoke back in his smooth tempo.

Saya smiled at her captain who she admired very much. He always seemed so calm and pulled together. Even though he didn't have the use of his eyes, Tosen taicho was completely aware of his surroundings. Being blind never seemed to be a hindrance; he was always graceful, always precise, and always powerful, that was Tosen-taicho. Saya was also intrigued by his sense of justice, although not always fully agreeing with his philosophies. "Thank you captain, it's because of your good training that I progress."

"Do not give me all of the credit, Saya-san, if not for your hard work you wouldn't be where you are today. Are you excited?"

Saya was tired of hearing that question, but didn't mind answering her captain anyway. "Nervous, taicho."

A small smile spread across Tosen's mouth. "You'll be fine, Saya-san. Now, I know that you won't be using it much, but let me show you to your new quarters."

"Thank you, sir."

* * *

It took Saya approximately ten minutes to move her belongings from her old room to her new one. She really liked her new quarters; it was basically a small apartment with a bedroom, private bathroom, and small kitchen area. Even though she had hardly spent time in her old room, she knew that she was going to have more responsibilities now and wasn't always going to be able to spend every night at Juushiro's home… her home. Saya sighed and made a mental note to do some shopping and decorating so that her apartment felt homier for the times she had stay there.

_Perhaps I'll go to the material world to do some shopping? Things seem to be so much cheaper there and it has been awhile since I've gone. _

Saya heard a knock at her door and went to answer.

"Are you ready, Saya-san?" The smooth voice of her captain asked.

"Hai, Taicho."

"Are you still nervous?"

"Hai, Taicho."

Tosen smiled a little bit and gave her a pat on the head. "Don't be."

Saya followed her captain to the meeting hall within their division. It was a place for special occasions, important assemblies, and such. Saya supposed that this could be counted as a special gathering, but still felt odd about it all. It wasn't like she didn't deserve this honor; she had worked very hard for Tosen-taicho for the past twenty-five years. However, she didn't want to make a big deal about it.

Tosen opened the huge doors into the hall and Saya could see the other lieutenants gathered there for the ceremony. Matsumoto was practically busting with excitement. Kaien gave her a wink and small wave. Ikkaku was there in place of Yachiru who, Saya would find out later, was too busy coloring on the side of the repentance tower to come. Byakuya simply nodded, which coming from him was akin to a warm embrace. Nemu, always the shy one, simply looked down at the ground. Saya smiled at Nanao who returned it with one of her own. Gin was wearing that creepy grin on his face and Saya tried her best not to look at him because she never liked the way she felt when in his presence. Sasakibe looked positively bored, and Saya was sure he wanted to return to Yama-jii's side as soon as this whole thing was over with. Omaeda was eating chips and not paying attention to anything. Isane gave Saya a small wave and then blushed. Saya had grown to like Isane over the years as she tended to Juushiro when Unohana was unavailable. Saya didn't see the third division fukutaicho anywhere, but did notice Iba-san, who she always thought looked like the eleventh division type. It was odd he was a lieutenant, or even a member in any other squad.

"Kyouraku Saya, please come forward." Tosen said from the front of the room.

Saya did as she was told and then kneeled down before her captain.

"Kyouraku Saya, you have been nominated by myself and elected by your peers to become lieutenant of the ninth division. You have passed the requirements of the lieutenant's test and have proven yourself as a leader and able soldier. Do you accept the position and responsibilities of fukutaicho?"

"Hai, it would be an honor to serve as Tosen-taicho's fukutaicho. I will work hard and do my best to serve this squad. I will uphold the standards of the shinigami code, be a role model for my subordinates, and a leader on the battlefield."

Tosen handed Saya her armband, which she quickly placed over her sleeve and then bowed to her captain. She turned to the other lieutenants and bowed low to them. "I am honored to be your colleague. Please help me perform my duties well so that I may be an asset to the Sereitei."

"Oh stop it, Saya. You're always so formal at things like this." Kaien shouted from the back of the room.

Saya stood up and smiled at Kaien. He could always ruin the moment for her, but she always liked it when he did. "I want to thank all of you for being a part of this with me. I greatly appreciate it."

"Again with the formality. Did someone die?"

"Ne, Kaien-sempai, I'm sure Byakuya-sempai would agree that things like this should done properly. Isn't that right, Byakuya-sama?" Saya asked, knowing that he would most likely agree with her.

"Yes. If you'll excuse me, I have other matters I need to attend to." With that, Byakuya bowed and left. Saya watched him leave thinking that he was acting a little peculiar.

Everyone else started saying their goodbyes and leaving as well. Matsumoto, Kaien, and Ikkaku stayed back for a little bit to wish Saya good luck on her first day as a lieutenant in the protection squads.

"We'll go out celebrating tonight!" Rangiku chirped. "We need to celebrate your promotion, uh... What was the word you used? Oh yes! 'Properly.'"

"We'll come pick you up after work." Kaien said.

"I'll bring Yumichika along." Ikkaku yelled over his shoulder while walking out of the door.

"What about Juushiro?" Saya asked.

"Taicho? What do you mean?" Kaien looked confused.

"He's ill, he'll need someone to look after him tonight."

"Look, I have Sentarou and Kiyone on it. He'll be fine, they're eager to help him. I'm sure they wouldn't mind a few extra hours of work so that we could celebrate. Trust me."

"Ukitake-taicho would want you to have fun, Saya-chan! He wouldn't like that you missed out to watch over him!" Rangiku chirped again.

Saya conceded, knowing that she was right, even though Saya knew that it wasn't Ukitake that Matsumoto was thinking about when she made that statement.

"Alright then, but only a couple. I have to be here early tomorrow to lead warm-ups."

* * *

As the first official day of Saya's lieutenancy ended, she wondered why in the world she wanted to do it in the first place. It had taken her all afternoon to finish and file the mindless paperwork that seemed to focus on nothing important. Her hand cramped and her eyes hurt from so much reading. Suddenly, the idea of a few cups of sake sounded absolutely wonderful. As if on cue, Kaien knocked and entered the ninth division headquarters to relieve Saya of her first day's work.

"Kaien-sempai!" Saya hugged him. "Why didn't you tell me the paperwork was so dreadful?"

"You wouldn't have become a fukutaicho if I had told you the truth." He said with a wink and patted her head. "Come on now, Rangiku, Ikkaku and Yumichika are all waiting for us down at the pub. Let's go."

Saya nodded and followed Kaien to the usual shinigami haunt. She walked in to see the familiar surroundings of the worn in booths, benches, and tables that had seen hundreds of generations of shinigami. Many soldiers had carved their names and division numbers into the old wooden boards that Saya always like read over whenever she came into the pub. Sure enough Saya spotted Rangiku, Ikkaku, and Yumichika sitting at their regular table, a rather large round one in the corner. They had their heads pressed together and were whispering excitedly about something.

"What's going on?" Saya asked as she scooted in next to Yumichika.

"Saya-chan! You're looking beautiful as always." Yumichika said while genuinely admiring her face.

"Um, thank you, Yumichika-san." Saya blushed and he started playing with her golden strands.

"Haven't you two heard?" Rangiku asked.

"It depends, what are you talking about?" Said Kaien.

"Byakuya eloped!" She whispered.

Saya couldn't believe her ears, she thought maybe they were playing a joke on her. "Kuchiki Byakuya? Honestly, I'm not falling for a prank like that."

"It's not a prank, it's true! On top of that, she's just some girl from Rukongai." Ikkaku said.

Saya looked at her friends and figured they were trying to get her to fall for something totally unbelievable because she was the new gullible fukutaicho. "I'm not falling for it. Kuchiki-sama is the epitome of what it means to be nobility. He is very traditional and would never do anything to tarnish his family's name. You had better stop making up such nonsense or Byakuya-sama will surely make you regret it."

"I wonder if she's beautiful?" Yumichika wondered aloud while twisting Saya's locks around his fingers.

Saya downed her cup of sake. "You're being ridiculous. Byakuya-sama would never marry anyone under him."

"Actually Saya, you're not being lied to. Byakuya really has eloped with a impoverished woman from Inuzuri." Kaien said quietly. "Even though we've been pushed out by the other noble clans, we still know what's going on and what they say is true. Her name is Hisana and she became Byakuya's wife yesterday evening in a small ceremony. Only a few of the Kuchiki elders were there."

Kaien hadn't taken his eyes off of his sake cup while he spoke and Saya knew him well enough to know that he was being serious. It was hard to believe that strict, proper Byakuya had actually fallen for a peasant. Knowing this new information, Saya became very upset.

"Thank you for the sake, but I need to go check on Juushiro." Saya said abruptly and got up to leave. She was seething all the way to the Kuchiki manor. _How could Byakuya-sama just go off and get married? Who is this girl anyway? Probably just some indigent being trying to take advantage of Byakuya-sama!_

Saya had been so immersed in her irritation and thoughts that she didn't even realize that she was standing at the Kuchiki manor until she was knocking on the door. A maid opened it and allowed her inside.

"Kyouraku-sama, it is very nice to see you again, what has brought you here this evening?"

Saya was jerked out of her state when she realized she didn't really know why she was there, and she certainly didn't have a good excuse. What was she supposed to say? _"I just came to see the Rukongai girl that Byakuya took as a bride."_ That wouldn't work.

"It was my first day as a lieutenant and I have some questions to ask Byakuya-sama. Is he in?" Saya said smoothly.

"No, Lady Kyouraku, Byakuya-sama has not yet returned from his division. Did you not see him within the court?" The maid inquired.

Saya realized how odd her excuse sounded once the maid pointed it out. "No, I couldn't find him and thought that he had returned home. I will wait for him here."

"Of course, Kyouraku-sama." The maid said with a low bow. That was when Saya heard a soft unfamiliar voice.

"Excuse me maid, do we have a guest?"

Saya turned to see whom the voice belonged to. She saw a small, fragile looking woman whose hair fell in her face and was black in color, which contrasted greatly to the creamy paleness of her skin. The woman was dressed in rich fabrics befitting a new bride and was clearly uncomfortable in the heavy layers. She seemed timid, shy, and unsure of herself in her surroundings.

"Hai, Hisana-_sama_. You see her there, don't you?" The maid answered back rather rudely, placing a sarcastic emphasis on the honorific. Saya was a little taken aback by the maid's comment and tone of voice. The Kuchiki servants were some of the best mannered hired hands, to hear one speaking so rudely to the lady of the house was implausible.

Saya watched as Hisana dropped her gaze to floor. "Oh yes, how silly of me to ask." She said in her small voice.

Even though Saya didn't know this woman standing before her, she had assessed quickly that Hisana wasn't just after Byakuya's fortune. Those types of women didn't mind bossing the help and would have demanded upon entry what another woman was doing in _their_ home to visit _their_ husband. Instead, this young woman looked afraid and uneasy. She looked as though she was scared of upsetting anyone or making any mistakes. It didn't matter that Hisana was from Rukongai; a mere maid had no right to speak to her mistress with such disrespect.

"Servant-san would do well to remember Hisana-sama is now the lady of the house. Byakuya-sama would not like to find out that a member of his staff showed such blatant disrespect to his bride and their new mistress." Saya said coldly. The maid looked back at Saya and received one of her piercing looks to which the maid quickly faltered under. "Remember your place in this household."

"Hai. Forgive me, Hisana-sama, I was wrong to speak to you like that." The servant said with a low bow.

Hisana looked shocked and didn't know quite how to react. "It's okay. Um, please just bring some tea out to the veranda for myself and Miss?" Hisana looked at Saya, searching for her name.

"Kyouraku Saya." Saya said.

"For myself and Kyouraku-san."

"Hai." The maid said as she rushed towards the kitchen.

Once the servant girl had left, Saya turned back towards Hisana and gave her a low bow. "Forgive me for not properly introducing myself. I am Kyouraku Saya and I'm a lieutenant in the protection squads along with your husband. Please excuse me for before, but the help should not speak to the Lady of the house in such a rude tone."

"It's nice to meet you, Kyouraku-san. I am Hisana. It's okay that you said something. The help hasn't been very… receptive to me. I don't blame them." Hisana dropped her gaze once more.

"Don't say that, Hisana-sama."

"But it's true. Some of them have a better upbringing than I do and I am now married to their master."

"It doesn't matter where you're from, Hisana-sama. You are their mistress now and they need to realize. You should say something to Byakuya-sama, you know he wouldn't stand for this treatment."

Hisana just stared at Saya with a look of wonder in her eye. "Can I lead you to the veranda?"

"Please do." Saya said with a smile.

* * *

Saya and Hisana sat at a table overlooking the gardens and koi pond drinking tea in silence. Hisana was clearly uncomfortable and shot sideways glances at Saya frequently. Saya, on the other hand, was observing everything she could about Hisana and attempting to piece together why Byakuya would take her as a wife. She was pretty, but not striking like so many women that had thrown themselves at Byakuya. Although she might have been considered polite for a woman from Rukongai, she lacked the fine manners and grace of a noblewoman. However, she did seem sweet and vulnerable. Someone that seemed to _need_ Byakuya and not just want him for political power or to increase their social status, although she managed the latter without making a conscious effort to do so.

"Byakuya-sama has mentioned you, Kyouraku-san." Hisana said, finally breaking the silence.

"Has he?"

"Yes. He thinks very highly of you as a friend and has complimented your manners. I don't know much about the manners of nobility, but just being here with you, I think I have a better picture of what he means."

Saya smiled, not really knowing what to say. Hisana didn't sound jealous nor did she sound complimentary. She simply stated what she was seeing and thinking.

"Do you think you could help me?" Hisana asked.

"Help you with what?"

"Byakuya-sama has already given me more than I could ever dream of. There aren't many ways in which I could return the favor to Byakuya-sama. So, I want to be more graceful and more like a noble woman for Byakuya-sama. I want to work hard and please him and try to be the wife I know he deserves. Please, Kyouraku-san, will you help me?" Hisana asked.

Saya didn't know what to say. This was the last thing that she had expected when she foolishly went to Byakuya's house out of irritation of not being told of his wife and curiosity over what type of woman she was. Now, Byakuya's wife was asking Saya for help on how to behave like a proper noble.

"Saya-san, what are you doing here?" Byakuya's smooth baritone voice rang out. Hisana jumped a little in her seat, surprised at her husband's sudden appearance.

Saya stood up and bowed low to Byakuya, Hisana followed suit. "Forgive me, Byakuya-sama. I had some questions to ask you regarding the protections squads." Although Hisana had risen from her bent position, Saya stayed in her bow until Byakuya told her otherwise.

"Hisana, please wait for me inside."

"Of course, Byakuya-sama." She said as she bowed once more and proceeded indoors. Byakuya started to walk out in to garden and indicated for Saya to follow.

"I'll ask you again, Saya, what are you doing here?"

Saya knew better than to lie to Byakuya. One, he'd know she was lying and two, she didn't know what to lie about. "I heard rumors that Byakuya-sama had married and I wanted to see for myself."

"Are you here to say to my face what others have been saying behind my back all day?" He asked coldly and graced Saya with his expressionless gaze.

"Not at all, Byakuya-sama. I was upset."

"Upset?" He hadn't been expecting to hear that.

"Hai. I don't care that she's from Rukongai, although I have to admit that fact is a little surprising to hear. It doesn't matter where she's from. She bears the name Kuchiki and is noble now. But what upsets me is that you kept this all a secret. I didn't know how Byakuya-sama could fall in love and get married and not tell me. Can you not trust me? Are we not close friends?"

Byakuya stared at Saya for a moment and looked into her eyes and could tell she was upset. "We are friends, Saya, but I'm sure even you can understand the delicacy this situation had to be handled with."

Saya sighed. "Of course, but you could have confided in me nonetheless. I would have been there for you."

Although he didn't speak it out loud, Byakuya was grateful for Saya's words and started to think how nice it would have been to have someone to talk to while he was fighting with the clan elders over Hisana. "Are you going to help her?" He finally asked after several moments of silence.

"She'll never have the 'naturalness' that other noble women have. She'll always have to work at it. Noble girls have the smallest details engrained into their heads from a young age so that they know how to act without thinking." Saya stopped to look at Byakuya who remained silent. "I don't think I will."

"So your answer is no?"

"You should be the one to teach her, Byakuya-sama. She will work hard for you because she wishes to please you. But I will offer to help whenever you need it."

For the third or fourth time since Saya had known Byakuya, she watched as a genuine smile played on his lips. "Thank you."

"Of course. Well, I should be heading back to Juushiro. Oh! Before I forget, you might want to ask Hisana-sama about how the staff has been treating her. Have a good night, Byakuya-sempai."

* * *

_"What on earth is going on in here?"_ Saya asked her amethyst-eyed friend as she stood outside Juushiro's door. She could hear two unfamiliar voices shouting at each other from inside.

_"I don't know, but I'm sure the pretty taicho isn't feeling any better with all that racket. Didn't you say he likes it quiet?"_ Kamikaze said. Saya could see her friend sitting under their tree with an irritated expression on his face; even he didn't like the commotion that was happening on the other side of the door and he had only heard it for a couple of minutes.

_"You don't think they were like that all day, do you?" _Saya asked warily.

_"Who knows? But you had better save your pretty captain."_

Saya slid the door open and saw the two culprits behind the screaming. One was a burly looking guy with tall black hair and an odd looking sweatband he wore around his head. He had a surprisingly well-trimmed goatee but wore a scowl on his face at the moment. The other, who Saya first mistook for a young boy, was a rather young looking girl with short blonde hair and wide eyes. She too wore a scowl on her face while looking at her partner.

After quickly taking in their appearance, Saya looked up to see that Juushiro was standing in the doorway between the living room and his bedroom with a cold pack pressed to his head and a blanket around his shoulders. He was looking rather tired and exasperated while watching the two young soldiers argue in front of him.

"I said that I would go and look for her!" The young girl yelled at the black haired man.

"No, I told the taicho and Shiba-fukutaicho that it would be my honor to go search for Kyouraku-fukutaicho!" The burly guy yelled back.

"She doesn't want some strange man coming up to her! I would be much better at finding her than you would anyway!"

"What do you mean? I'm clearly more talented at tracking people down than you are!"

Saya looked at the pair in front of her, becoming more and more irritated with each passing moment. By the look of Juushiro, they had been arguing like that all day, meaning he hadn't gotten any rest. Saya closed her eyes as their rowing filled her ears, each trying to one-up the other and the person that they were supposed to be looking for was standing in the room with them. She had been standing there for a couple of minutes and they still hadn't noticed her presence.

"SILENCE!" Saya spat out when her ears and brain couldn't take anymore. She opened her eyes to see two rather scared looking subordinates and a surprised, yet thankful, Juushiro. Saya realized that her outburst might not have been necessary. "Excuse me, but who are you two?"

She was sorry she asked. Both officers immediately kneeled and bowed before her in an over zealous sort of way. If that's possible.

"Kotetsu Kiyone, recently promoted fifth seat officer! It is a pleasure to meet you, Kyouraku-fukutaicho." She exclaimed excitedly.

"Kotsubaki Sentarou, sharing the fifth seat with Kiyone! It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Kyouraku-fukutaicho! I was happy to take care of the captain for you today, fukutaicho."

"I was much happier to serve the captain today!"

"Stop copying me all of the time!"

"Please silence yourselves." Saya asked, this time her tone was much nicer, although she had to put forth an extreme amount of effort in order to make it sound that way. She waited for the two to quiet themselves. "Juushiro, please get back into bed. You don't look like you had a very peaceful day." Saya said, this time the edge coming back to her voice.

"That's not true!" Kiyone started, "We helped Ukitake-taicho with anything he… uh…" She had just received one of Saya's coldest stares, which as always, was effective in shutting anyone up.

Saya usually put forth her best effort to be polite when meeting people for the first time, but she wasn't pleased thinking that these two had caused Juushiro extra stress while he was feeling ill. She was finding it hard to be courteous to the two in front of her.

"Saya (cough) where have you been?" Juushiro asked a worried expression on his face.

Saya looked up at Juushiro feeling confused. She didn't remember giving him a time that she would be home. Saya was about to answer but heard the door slide behind her.

"Saya, there you are." Kaien said. "You said you were coming home to check on the captain and when you weren't here we became a little worried. I had asked Kiyone and Sentarou here to help find you, but it looks like you found yourself."

Realization hit Saya and she now understood why Juushiro looked worried and Kiyone and Sentarou were arguing about who it was that was going to find her. "Oh I see." Saya turned back to the two young officers. "Thank you for taking care of Juushiro today. I can tell you wanted nothing but to please him. You may leave now. Thank you for your hard work." Saya was rather impressed that her statement came out in such a nice tone when really, she just wanted to scream at them for being such a nuisance.

"Of course! It was a pleasure to meet you, Kyouraku-fukutaicho! I am happy to help anytime!" Sentarou said as he shot up to a standing position.

"I was much happier to help! I will help anytime you want! Plus, I am much more excited to have finally met you, Kyouraku-sama!" Kiyone chimed in after Sentarou.

Before they could continue on like that, Saya waved them out of the door and then turned back to Kaien and Juushiro.

"Forgive me for making you worry, it's just that I had to make a detour on the way and it took longer than expected." Saya was secretly chastising herself for adding to Juushiro's stress level when he clearly had a taxing day with his enthusiastic subordinates.

"Where did the detour take you?" Kaien asked, but already knowing the answer.

"To the Kuchiki Manor." Saya answered back, looking down at the floor.

"Saya, why did you…"

"I was upset about Byakuya and I wanted to see his new wife for myself." Saya answered looking at Kaien. Had she been looking at Juushiro, she would have seen the hurt look that momentarily crossed his features.

_Why would she care that he got married? Although, I'm a little surprised to hear it myself. Why would it upset her, unless she had feelings for him?_

"Byakuya-sama is my friend and it hurt my feelings that he wouldn't confide in me. It's hard being the leader of a noble clan, especially when you're in his position. He had to be dealing with so much pressure to not get married to her. I imagine that he would feel very lonely, with everyone around him hating the decision that he was making, only worrying about their reputation. They don't care about actually loving someone. It had to be hard for him." Saya answered as she gazed back down at the floorboards. Juushiro understood now why she had been upset. She considered Byakuya one of her close friends so she got her feelings hurt that Byakuya hadn't treated her as such. He sighed a little, knowing that he should never questions Saya's feelings for him.

When she looked back up she saw that Kaien was giving her a small smile. "I'll leave you two alone. Goodnight, Saya, Captain." He said with a small nod and then walked out of the room.

Saya walked over to Juushiro and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"I'm sorry for making you worry." She said as she reached up and placed a hand on his cheek. His skin was hot with fever and then gave him a small kiss on the lips. A metallic taste hit Saya's tongue and she realized that it was a rough day for him in more ways than one. "Let's go to bed, shall we?"

Juushiro nodded with a small smile and allowed Saya to lead him to bed. He watched her as she changed into her sleeping kimono and crawled into bed with him. Even though he was feeling hot from the fever, he grabbed her and pulled her close to his body. "Saya, those two were so noisy all day." He whispered. Now that she was there with him, his body started to relax and the rest he didn't get from the day was starting to overcome him. He felt Saya smile against his chest.

"That was all Kaien's idea. I'll kick him tomorrow for it, if you'd like?"

"Mmmm, not too hard." Juushiro said, fatigue filling his voice.

Saya listened as his breathing turned heavy, interrupted with the occasional cough. Eventually she fell asleep as well wrapped in his arms. The last thing she remembered thinking before she fell asleep was that she never wanted to be anywhere that Juushiro wasn't.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I hope everyone had a lovely July 4th holiday... for those of you who celebrate American Independence Day, anyway :-P. I want to thank everyone who either sent me a picture of Juushiro and Saya or those of you who are currently working on pictures/projects to send to me! I'm sooooooooooo super excited to see them! XD Don't forget, I did offer a one-shot for you with a pairing of your choice, so don't forget to tell me who you'd like to read about! If you'd like to save it for a later time, feel free to turn in the I.O.U. one one-shot card whenever you want. For those of you who want to know, I based Kamikaze/Hanryo's looks off of a character named Kamui Shiro. Google search him if you're curious.

Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed. I hope that all of you received some sort of reply from me... for a few days the alerts and messaging weren't working from FF and so I hope I didn't forget or miss any one! Have a lovely weekend!

Please take the time to review


	28. Chapter 28: So Close

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or anything that has to do with the Bleach franchise... but I now I want Shunsui as an older brother too!

* * *

"Here is the report for the day, Taicho. The men seem to be coming along nicely and are all training hard. I've seen improvement in their tactics and abilities to work together." Saya had been lieutenant of the ninth division for about a month and had gotten used to her new duties. They required more of her time, but she liked helping Tosen-taicho. Even though she would never admit this to anyone (because it sounded conceited even to her), she felt strangely comfortable with so many subordinates. She felt like this wasn't the first time she was in a leadership position.

"Good work, Saya-fukutaicho. I'm glad to see that you're working so hard and you've been very helpful in your short time serving as my lieutenant. Thank you for your hard work."

Saya blushed a little; she always enjoyed praise from her captain. "It's nothing, Taicho. I'm glad to serve you."

"I know it's already late at night, but please take these documents to Aizen-taicho and then you are dismissed for the day. I'll see you back here after the weekend."

"Yes, sir." Saya bowed and then flashed towards the fifth division. She was looking forward to her weekend off. She was planning on going to the real world to do some shopping for her new quarters.

_"You seem awfully happy, Saya-sama." _Hanryou mentioned.

_"Hai, I have the entire weekend off. Tomorrow, I'll do my shopping and then the next day Juushiro and I plan to spend some time together, just the two of us. We haven't really had much time together ever since I've become a lieutenant. Although Tosen-taicho doesn't demand as much from me as other captains do from their fukutaichos, I still have a lot more responsibility."_

Saya landed in the courtyard of the fifth division and made her way to the offices. She knocked several times, but it seemed empty. Looking around, Saya noticed that many people had already gone home for the evening; it was rather late after all. She sighed and decided that she would go to Aizen-taicho's personal quarters, although she felt a little odd about doing so.

Following a stone path that curved behind the office, Saya proceeded to Aizen's small home. She knocked and a surprised looking Aizen opened the door. He was already in his sleeping kimono and Saya blushed when she realized how much of a bother she probably was for him.

"Forgive me, Aizen-taicho, but Tosen-taicho wanted me to deliver these documents to you. I should have waited until tomorrow and delivered them at a more appropriate hour." She bowed low.

Aizen took her by the shoulders and pushed her erect once again. His smile greeted her as she looked up at him. "No need to worry, Kyouraku-san. Do I seem the type to get upset so easily? Besides, I would like to look over those tonight anyway."

Saya handed him the documents, happy he wasn't upset with her. It had been a long time since she had come to visit Aizen. She still regarded him as one of her favorite captains, aside from Juushiro, her brother, and her own captain.

"Why don't you come in and have some tea? You look a little tired, has Kaname been working you hard?"

Saya blushed. "No, Tosen-taicho is good to me and I am very lucky to be his subordinate. I guess maybe I haven't adjusted to the longer hours."

Aizen smiled again and stepped aside to allow Saya entry into his home. This was the first time that Saya had been inside his living quarters. It reminded her a lot of his office in that it had shelves and shelves of books, but this was much cozier and homier feeling.

"Please have a seat, Saya-san."

"Yes, thank you captain." Saya sat down on an incredibly comfortable, worn-in leather sofa. _Good thing Shunsui doesn't know how soft this couch is; he would probably start taking his naps here. I don't know how Aizen-taicho would feel about that._

Aizen handed Saya some tea and sat down next to her. Saya looked at his profile and thought that he had a very kind face and a nice smile. It always seemed so warm and gentle.

"It's been a long time, Saya-san."

"Hai, taicho, it has."

"Forgive me for being so forward, but have any important memories come back to you?"

Saya looked at Aizen and remembered telling him about the dream about meeting her father in the field. In fact, she had told him many of her memories over the years. She left out even more detail than when she told Shunsui or Juushiro, but she still told him. How was it that she always felt comfortable with him and willing to tell him things like that? It wasn't that she didn't tell her brother or Juushiro, but she was incredibly close to them. But she always looked up to Aizen-taicho, and felt warm in his presence.

"A lot of memories as you know, sir. I can't say that many new ones have come to me lately. I dreamt about meeting my father again, but his face alluded me once more." Saya took a sip of her tea. "I don't understand why I can't see his face, when I want to so much."

"Are you still having nightmares as well?"

"Yes. Although not as frequent as before." Saya took a sip and looked down into the cup, deep in thought.

"Where are you, Kyouraku-san?" Aizen asked, amused by her pensive attitude.

"What do you mean, sir? I'm right here."

"For a second you left me, where did you go?" His kind eyes bore into Saya.

Saya looked down again, knowing his meaning. If she could tell anyone, it would be Aizen-taicho, right? "Sir… I… sometimes I question our king."

Aizen's eyes widened with shock. "What do you mean, Kyouraku-san?"

"It's just that… A lot of my nightmares are the memories of horrible things I've done because of his orders." Saya whispered, afraid to speak the words too loud for fear she would be punished for them. "Sometimes I think that he's not a very good man. That he doesn't deserve to be king." She kept her head down not wanting to meet Aizen's eyes.

Aizen's trademark smirk crossed his lips, but he quickly twisted it into his kind smile.

"Don't worry about what you say to me, it is only natural that you might feel that way. You are a good person, Kyouraku-san, and you were made to do bad things. I can't imagine how you must feel now, knowing what you did. But it is not your fault, do not blame yourself."

Saya still hadn't looked up but felt a hand on her wrist. Aizen then pulled Saya into a warm embrace. "I won't tell anyone what you said because I'm sure your words may be misconstrued. You can always trust in me, Kyouraku-san. I feel honored that you shared your thoughts with me. I can tell that you haven't expressed this to anyone else."

Feeling a little shocked by Aizen's embrace, Saya didn't quite know what to say or think, he had never done anything more than pat her on the head. However, she found that she returned his hug and appreciated his discretion at keeping her secret. "Arigato, Aizen-taicho. You have always been so kind to me."

Aizen let Saya go and patted her on the head in his usual way. "Go home to Juushiro, Kyouraku-san. It is late and I'm sure he is getting worried."

Saya bowed before leaving. Aizen couldn't help but let his evil smile play across his handsome features after she had left his home. "You might make it too easy for me, my little Saya." He said to himself.

* * *

"Oto-san is so talented!" A child version of Saya said as she sat between her father's legs. He was leaning against a tree and Saya was leaning against him. He chuckled and Saya turned to look up at him. Even though the moon was shining brightly, his face was hidden from view, completely enveloped by shadows thanks to the tall tree they were sitting under.

"It's not much, Saya-chan." He said in his kind voice as he patted the top of her head.

"Please show me again, Oto-san!"

"Alright, only if I can show you how to do it too. Saya-chan has an important duty to fulfill when she grows up, so she must become strong."

Saya watched as he materialized a ball of swirling reitsu in his hand. "It's so pretty, Oto-san!" Saya clapped at her father's trick.

"Now you must do it too, Saya-chan. Let me show you how."

Saya listened as her father told her how to visualize and form a ball of her own reitsu. She was able to form a tennis-ball sized orb in her own hand. "Oto-san! I did it! Look here! I feel I should call you Daddy-sensei now, ne?" Saya and her father laughed together as she felt him wrap his arms around her.

* * *

"Oto-san." Saya said as her eyes fluttered opened to reveal a smiling Juushiro looking down at her. "Juushiro, what are you doing?" She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair that fell down over his shoulders in curtains of pure white.

"You were laughing in your sleep. Like I said before, it's rare that you're vocal when you sleep… well, other than screaming. It was such a child-like laugh, so innocent." Juushiro stroked Saya's throat with his fingertips. "What were you dreaming about?"

"I was dreaming about my father. He was showing me how to make a reitsu orb in the palm of my hand. I thought it was trick, like magic." Saya said as she closed her eyes and turned her face away from Juushiro, who kept stroking her neck with his fingers. "But I still didn't see his face. It was covered by shadows."

"I see." Juushiro ran his hand across Saya's collarbone, down the length of her arm, and intertwined his fingers with hers. He laid his head down and pressed his ear against her chest. "Your heart is beating fast."

"You always do that to me." Saya could feel Juushiro smile against her.

"It's nice to know that I still have this sort of affect on you, even though we've been together for all these years." Juushiro said softly. "That it's still me you want."

Saya used her free hand and starting stroking Juushiro's head. "I don't see that ever changing, though I find it irritating from time to time. What an annoying power you hold over me."

Juushiro lifted his head off of Saya's chest and loomed over her once again, a confident yet loving smirk on his face. "I don't mind."

Saya gave her best attempt to glare at Juushiro, but he just laughed then rolled over pulling Saya on top of him. He brushed her hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear.

"Why were you home so late last night? I had already fallen asleep when you snuck into bed."

"Tosen-taicho asked me to deliver some documents to Aizen-taicho. He asked me to stay for a cup of tea, I didn't want to seem rude, so I did."

"You've always looked up to Aizen, I'm not surprised you visited with him for a little while." Juushiro said as he pecked Saya on the cheek. "What did you talk about."

"He asked me if any new memories had come back to me. I… I might have said something to him that I should have kept to myself." Saya whispered. Although she wanted to avoid Juushiro's gaze, it was hard in the position she was currently in.

A frown passed over Juushiro's smooth features. "What did you say, Saya?"

"I… I told him that I questioned our King." She whispered.

Juushiro was silent and stared up at Saya's face. He saw the worried look she wore, knowing that she voiced something that could get her in a lot of trouble if she were to say it to the wrong person.

"Please say something. I know I shouldn't have said it, but Aizen-taicho promised he wouldn't say anything. I'm sorry I didn't share something like this with you, but he was there and we were on the subject. I didn't want to lie to you and not tell you what we talked about either. Please don't be mad at me."

"Saya… what you said could be misconstrued and get you into trouble, you know this?"

"Yes, I'm sorry. It's not like I want anything bad to happen to the…"

"I know. Just be careful when you express opinions like that. You're a lieutenant in the court guard protection squads. Although we fight against hollows and bring human souls to the Soul Society, our main duty is to protect the king. One of the leading officers can't being saying things like that."

"Yes… I'm sorry."

Juushiro pulled Saya into a tight hug. "I'm not mad and you know I won't say anything either. But please be more careful about things like this."

"Yes… I'm sorry. I won't be so careless again."

* * *

"Souta-san, his majesty wishes to see you." A masked guardsmen stood at the entrance of the shrine that Souta was visiting, placing fresh flowers at the tombstone.

"Hai." Souta said before quickly flashing to the throne room. He knocked and waited for permission to enter.

The door opened to allow Souta entry into the grand room. Heavy tapestries portraying historical events and kings from the Sereitei and King's realm decorated the walls. Masked guardsmen stood like statues around the room, ready to attack at the slightest suspicious act from any visitor, strange or familiar to them. At the far end of the room was a raised platform surrounded by four solid gold pillars with pictures of dragons carved from them. The dragons themselves were decorated with the finest emeralds, rubies, and diamonds. In the middle of the platform, on a throne of gold, sat the king of the Soul Society. Several layers of heavy silk kimonos and yukatas covered his body. A long, thin, white beard fell from his face and was tied with silk. His long white hair was plaited behind his body. On his left hip he wore a zanpakuto; in his right hand he held the royal staff, carved from mahogany. The staff was topped with a large golden sunburst with the King's crest, a sixteen-pedaled chrysanthemum, made of black onyx stones in the middle.

Souta took fifteen paces towards the king before kneeling and bowing his head. "How may I serve you, my lord?"

"We wish for you to deliver a message to the Yamamoto-soutaicho of the Gotei Thirteen." The king's deep voice rang out. Despite looking so old, his voice was still youthful and strong in its quality. "You will then wait for him to give a written reply and return immediately. Do not let yourself be seen by any unnecessary persons, understand?"

"Hai, Heika-sama (your majesty)."

Souta stayed in his bowed position, but could see in his peripheral vision that the king passed a folded piece of parchment, marked with his crest, to his personal bodyguard. The bodyguard handed the note to Souta. "The gate to the Sereitei has been prepared and the Soutaicho is expecting you."

"Hai." Souta exited the throne room and made his way towards the official gate that would lead to the Sereitei.

* * *

Saya, who had borrowed real-world money from Shunsui, was standing in her father's garden double-checking that she had everything she needed for her trip. _"Money? Check… Gigai? Check… Clothes for gigai? Check… I think that's all I need right, Hanryo?"_

_"I think you're ready, Saya-sama."_

_"Let's go then! I'm so excited, I haven't been to the real world in such a long time! I'll have to be careful about what I buy, I can only carry so much back with me. Unless you want to materialize yourself and help me, Hanryo?"_ Saya suggested sweetly.

_"Nope, not really."_

Saya smiled. _"I didn't think so. Okay, now just to open the gate."_ Saya stepped through to the other side but stopped just as the door shut behind her.

_"Saya-sama, are you alright?"_ Kamikaze asked. He had felt the same sensation as she had, afterall.

"_Hai, it's just that I thought I felt a familiar reitsu just now, but I couldn't quite place where I know it from. Hmm, maybe I'm just imagining things?"_

Hanryo didn't say anything else as Saya's mind became distracted with thoughts of shopping in the real world. The excitement she felt helped distract from the usual uneasiness that settled around her whenever she passed through to one world from another.

After slipping on her gigai, given to her by the twelfth division, Saya stretched, flexed, and twisted in an attempt to get used to the feel of the artificial body. _"This is rather heavy. I guess it should be expected though, ne?" Saya pulled out a map of Karakura to get her bearings. __"The town shopping district isn't too far from where we are now. That's good, it'll give me a little bit more practice in the gigai before I have to be seen around humans."_

Saya was oblivious to the stares she was receiving as she walked the streets of Karakura. She was unaware of how odd it was to see someone get excited over simple, everyday items, like mailboxes, vending machines, and parking meters.

_"Saya-sama, I think you are drawing attention to yourself. Don't look interested in such silly things; people will think you've escaped from a mental institute."_

_"But it amazes me how the real world works! The way the send messages to each other is very odd, don't you think? And why do they have to pay to park their… what are they called? Cars? I mean, they aren't using them, so why do they put money into those weird poles? I'm glad that we don't need cars in the Sereitei; shunpo is obviously faster. Just look here, there's so much food in these things! I'm buying some sweets for Juushiro; he'll like them." _Saya stopped and pulled out some coins that Shunsui had given her. Luckily, he had thought to give her a quick tutorial on the money she would be using, otherwise she would have been clueless about what to do.

"Excuse me ma'am?"

Saya looked up to see a handsome man with brown hair and hazel eyes looking at her. "Yes?"

"I was wondering if you were feeling alright?"

Saya stood up; she was as tall as he was. "Yes, why do you ask?"

"It's just that, well, I've been observing you and you've been acting rather odd. I've never seen someone take such interest in a post office box before." He said with as much politeness as he could while he rubbed the back of his neck.

_"See what I told you, Saya-sama? He think's you belong in an institution."_

Saya gave the man one of her infamous glares; its potency was not affected by the gigai. "I'm fine, thank you for your concern."

"Oh yes, of course. Sorry to bother you, miss." The man said as he almost ran away.

_"Okay, Kamikaze, I will try to act more normal."_

_"It's not befitting of Saya-sama to gawk anyway."_

For the rest of the morning and well into the afternoon, Saya went in and out of any store that caught her eye, stopping once to eat out of the vending machines she was so fond of. She bought an area rug for her living room; a colorful quilt for her bed; several throw pillows for her couch; landscape pictures of Japan; and an assortment of candles and candleholders. Saya wasn't sure how she managed to balance and carry all of her packages, but was happy that she did.

_"Are you ready to go back, Saya-sama?"_ Hanryou asked his mistress.

_"Not quite, there is one more store that I would like to visit. It's just a matter of finding my way. It's harder to track reitsu while in this gigai."_

_"Saya-sama, you're not really going to visit him, are you?"_

_"Of course, he's part of the reason I wanted to do my shopping in the real world. Any other time I came to the material world, I was never in Karakura Town so I wasn't able to meet him again."_

Although she had to concentrate a little harder than she was used to, Saya was able to pick up on the spiritual pressure she was looking for. However, another, more sinister aura made itself known.

_"Saya-sama."_

_"Yes, I feel it too."_ Saya ran towards the hollow she felt, while somehow managing to keep her packages perfectly balanced. She ended up at a park and saw people scream and run away from the violent tremors that they were unable to explain. Dust and grass were flying everywhere as the hollow tore its way through towards a young soul. It didn't take long before the playground had completely emptied and all that was left was the hollow, the soul it was chasing, and Saya.

Saya took a quick look around to make sure that everyone had cleared before she popped a soul candy into her body and emerged in her shinigami uniform. "Go hide somewhere safe for a little bit, and don't lose any of those bags." The artificial soul gave a quick nod and ran off in the opposite direction.

"What do we have here, a shinigami?" The hollow had turned its attention towards Saya. "And a tasty one at that, I can tell. Your spiritual pressure smells of high quality. I think I'll have you for dessert."

Saya unsheathed her zanpakuto and pointed it towards the hollow before looking around for the child's soul that she had seen the hollow chasing. Once she located the soul, who was cowering under the slide, she redirected her attention back to the hollow. "I'm sorry, but I don't think that you'll be dining on any souls today."

"I love it when my prey puts up a fight, it just makes you that much tastier." The hollow growled in his fiendish voice.

The hollow dove towards Saya who easily dodged by jumping up into the air. She flipped herself around and then brought her zanpakuto down, slicing off several legs before landing in a crouch a few yards away. The hollow hissed and reeled around for another attack. Again, Saya easily dodged but was surprised to see that the hollow burrowed into the ground. Saya stood still and scanned the ground, waiting for any disturbance, while reaching out with her reitsu to locate the position of the hollow.

_"Stupid hollow, surely he realizes I will destroy him?"_ Saya mused to Hanryou.

_"Watch yourself, Saya-sama."_

_"Of course." _Saya leapt fifty feet in the air as the centipede hollow drove through the ground directly underneath her.

"You won't get away from me. I shall truly enjoy devouring your soul." The hollow laughed while chasing Saya through the air.

"Blue fire crash down." Saya said calmly, her shot skimmed the left side of his body, effectively destroying half its legs on that side.

_"You missed." _

_"No I didn't. How fun is it for you if I took him out with kido alone?"_

Saya could see Kamikaze smile from the corners of her mind. _"You know I love to join in on the action, but I doubt you'll need my released form for this mediocre hollow. But, I don't mind you using me to slice through him. That will do for now."_

_"If that's what you'd like, Kamikaze."_

Saya landed on the ground a few yards away from the hollow that was currently writhing in pain from his missing arms. It hissed at its opponent. "Damn you, shinigami." The hollow reared back and made to attack once more, Saya went to dodge but realized she had misread the hollows movements. It was making its way towards the child under the slide.

Saya flashed between the hollow and the child. The hollow was clearly caught off guard, not realizing the speed that Saya had, but seemed more determined to crush both Saya and the child beneath its body before eating their souls. Saya allowed an evil smirk to cross her lips before taking another step and slicing the hollow through from head to tail.

Hearing a whimper behind her, Saya turned to see the trembling child under the slide.

"Tell me, child. What is your name?"

The young girl started to cry and shake more violently as Saya approached her.

"Don't worry, the danger is gone. You are safe now."

"NO! You're almost just as scary! Your face, that smile you had right before you killed the monster, it was scary!"

Saya stopped and wondered if she really seemed that ruthless when fighting an enemy. "Don't you think it's a little odd that you're afraid of me when I saved you from that monster? Surely you didn't want to be eaten? Please, tell me your name." Saya gave the girl a sweet smile and knelt down so that she was on her level. Saya was still a few feet away, but didn't go closer because she didn't want to have to chase down a scared child's soul if the girl decided to run away.

"My name is Sakura." The little girl sniffed. She started thinking that Saya didn't look so scary after all. _No, this woman is very beautiful, not scary like I thought._

"That's a pretty name, one of the prettiest around, ne? My name is Saya. It's a pleasure to meet you, Sakura-chan." Saya said with a bow. "Won't you come to me? I promise, you are safe." Saya stretched her arms towards the little girl. Sakura debated for a few moments then went to Saya and allowed Saya to embrace her.

"Sakura-chan, it's time for you to cross over."

"But I'm afraid. What about Mommy and Daddy? They will miss me."

"Of course they will, but they want you to be at peace. Next time, someone might not be able to save you from the scary monster with the white mask. You will make your Mommy and Daddy worry if you don't pass on. You want them to be happy, right?" Saya let the little girl nod. "Then make them proud by being a brave little girl. Don't worry; it won't hurt at all."

Sakura sniffed again. "It won't?"

"I promise." Saya waited for the little girl to nod and then she turned her zanpakuto so that the end of the hilt pointed towards the girl. After performing the soul burial, Saya watched as a pure white glow enveloped the girl and led her to the Soul Society. The look of peace and happiness on the child's face left Saya with a warm feeling and a hope that she would be lucky enough to be placed in one of the nicer districts.

* * *

_"Here we are, Hanryo, the Urahara Shoten."_ Saya stepped inside and placed her packages down by the door. She didn't see anyone on the floor but expected that she would be greeted soon.

"Meow." Saya turned to see a black cat with piercing golden eyes looking at her.

"Hello there, kitty." Saya began to pet the cat on the ears and then scratch under its chin. The cat seemed to enjoy the attention so Saya continued to pet it. She started scratching its back and sides with her nails, the cat responded by arching its back and rubbing its head on Saya's wrists. "Who's a pretty kitty, huh? Who's so pretty? You're a pretty kitty, yes you are. You're the prettiest of kitties. So friendly little kitty… little kitty kins. You like scratched there? Yes you do. Pretty little friendly kitty likes the attention." Saya cooed over the cat who didn't seem to mind one bit.

"Can I help you, Ichijin-san?" Urahara tried not to chuckle at the site of Saya and the cat.

"Is this your cat, Urahara-san? What's its name?"

"Calling it kitty is just fine."

Saya picked up "Kitty" and held it like a newborn baby, scratching its now exposed belly. The cat purred loudly with satisfaction. "I think I might like one of these." Saya mused.

"That's a rare species, that one." Urahara studied Saya with shaded eyes, the lower half of his face covered with his fan. "It's been a long time, again. It's nice to see a familiar face, though this is now only the third time I've seen it."

Saya smiled. "I was wondering if you could help me?" She waited for the former captain to nod. "Will you check to make sure this gigai doesn't have anything odd going on with it? I acquired it from the twelfth division, and Kurotsuchi-taicho has been itching to experiment on me ever since I first met him. I just want to make sure this thing isn't bugged or under some sort of odd surveillance or some other dreadful thing that I can't think of but that crazy man would. I figured you're the best person to assess it."

"Of course, Ichijin-san, it would be my pleasure." Urahara bustled around and found a scanner of some sort, which he ran over Saya's body.

"I thought that I asked you not to call me that last time I was here?"

"Ah yes, forgive me, but old habits die hard." Urahara finished scanning Saya's gigai. "There's nothing out of the ordinary with this body, you should be fine, and Mayuri won't have anything information on you he didn't already know." Kisuke studied his old friend with an interested look in his eye. "But I'm sure the reason you came to my shop wasn't just to ask me to run a scan on your gigai."

"No, Urahara-san. Our last meeting didn't last very long and I didn't get much information out of you then."

"What makes you think you'll get much information out of me now?"

Saya glared at Urahara who immediately put both hands out in front of his body. "Just kidding Ichijin-san… we can discuss whatever you like."

"Good."

Urahara chuckled a little bit. "I wonder how many times you gave me that look under that mask you used to wear? I'm glad that I didn't have to see it, you can seem rather scary."

"So I've heard." Saya said with a smirk as she continued to pet the black cat. "Urahara-san, will you tell me about that night? The one where I revealed my face to you."

Urahara brought some tea in before starting his story. Apparently, he felt that Saya could wait another few minutes since she had already fifty-five years. "I had been waiting in my lab for some time for you. Your visits had been becoming infrequent due to the fact that you didn't approve of some of my experiments and inventions…"

"Which ones were those?" Saya interrupted.

"Now now, Ichi-Kyouraku-san, how can I finish my answer if you interrupt me?" He sang while wagging a finger at Saya. Saya smiled and waitied for him to continue. "I had already sent Mayuri home, because I knew that you wouldn't visit if he was there. Even though you hadn't been coming to see me as much, I knew the chances were always higher if I was alone, well, you would never visit me if anyone else was around. So I guess that's saying I had a one percent chance versus a zero percent chance. I was working with the hougyoku, trying to perfect some technique. I remember constantly looking up at the window you used to come through, but you didn't come through the window that night; you came through the door.

"There was a light knock; at first I tried to send you away. I didn't know who you were and I didn't really care. Besides, I had to be careful about who saw me doing what experiment. But you said that you were a new recruit and that you were scared. Hehe, you sounded like a pretty girl so I decided to let you in. I didn't really expect to see such a pretty lady standing on the other side of the door. You were wearing a pretty pink kimono with gold and silver embroidery. It wasn't anything expensive looking, just your normal off-duty type wear.

"I remember the words you said to me, _'Forgive me, Urahara-taicho, but I am new to your squad and I am nervous about performing my duties well for you. I haven't made any friends yet; I'm kind of shy. Please, would Captain mind if I spent some time in here with him tonight? I promise not to get in the way; I'll sit in the corner and be quiet if you want. But I feel lonely, and if maybe Captain would let me stay here, if only for a little while, I would feel better about being in your squad.'"_

Saya experienced a new sensation that hadn't occurred to her before, her flashback came to her while she was awake. In her mind, she could see the story playing out as Kisuke described it to her. She brought her hand up and held her forehead for a moment.

"Kyouraku-san, are you okay?"

"Hai, I'm just remembering is all, please continue." Saya brought her hand away from her face and started to pet the cat that was curled up in her lap.

"You did just that. You sat in a chair and watched; you didn't make a sound, only observed me as I worked. Even though you were there, I was wondering if Ichijin would visit me. I didn't realize that the girl sitting in front of me, and my masked visitor, were one in the same. You must have noticed me looking up at the window, how could you not? _"Captain, why do you keep looking at the window? It's as if you are expecting a visitor to drop by and enter through there."_ You said to me. '_Oh no, I wasn't expecting anyone.'_ I tried to lie."

_"'She won't come to you, tonight.' _ Is what you said."

_"'Who are you talking about?'_ I asked. I had my back turned so I didn't notice that you had stood up and started making your way to the door."

_"'Your friend. She won't come to you anymore. She asked you to stop making that orb and that specialized gigai, but you clearly didn't listen to her warning. Dangerous objects like that attract dangerous people and dangerous deeds. Please, destroy it.' _When I turned to look at you, you were already stepping through the door. When I asked you your name you said, _'You may call me Ichijin.'"_ Then you were gone. I never saw you again after that, not that I would have had the chance. I was exiled, forced to live here on earth for events that happened that night."

Saya closed her eyes. She saw her self running away from the twelfth division and entering Rukongai. _Where was I going that night? Why was I going into Rukongai? _ "Thank you, for sharing that with me, Urahara-san. I remember now. I was wondering If you could answer me another question? Why exactly did you get exiled, what events occurred that night?"

Kisuke lowered his head slightly so that the shadow created by his hat fully covered his eyes, his face fell into a serious look. "I was framed by a colleague and was falsely accused of performing 'Hollowification' on the souls of eight other shinigami captians and lieutenants."

"That's horrible! Was the true culprit ever caught?"

"I'm afraid they got away."

"Fifty-five years ago? I probably wouldn't recognize the names of the people involved even if you told me, especially if you say they got away." Saya said. Urahara just stared at her, not correcting her assumption. "Was it someone who was ultimately after the hougyoku?"

"I have no reason to believe otherwise."

"Well, it's safe now, correct?"

"I suppose as safe as an item like that can be."

Saya was silent for a while as she stroked the black cat. "Do you know if I ever went to meet anyone else in Sereitei? My father is a shinigami, or was, I don't believe he is alive anymore."

"Oh? Why do you say that?" Urahara asked, not allowing his voice to sound too serious.

"Because he would have claimed me when I entered the academy, or at least when I entered the Protection Squads."

Kisuke looked at his visitor, who had worn a mask during her many visits decades before. The one who never shared much information. She had always seemed entertained just by watching him work; it was surprising to hear her give that information so freely. "I'm sorry, Kyouraku-san, I do not know if you visited any others. You were always very good at hiding your reitsu, so when you left my eyes I was not able to tell where you were."

Saya nodded and peered into the eyes of the cat that looked back at her and thought about the information that Urahara had just shared with her. It wasn't a great deal more, but at least she could determine that this person didn't know her attacker either. He also explained their last meeting together, which Saya was happy to know. However, she questioned why, being a member of the royal guard, she hadn't reported the information about Urahara-san's experiements and inventions? Surely she would have, unless she hadn't thought them to be a threat to the king? She had more thinking to do, more theories throw around in her own head. But right in that moment, all she wanted to do was go home to better process the new thoughts in her mind.

Saya positioned herself on her knees and bowed low to Urahara, who looked a little shocked. "Thank you for sharing that informationg with me. Thank you for telling me the truth and answering my questions. I won't disturb you any longer."

"Any time, Ichijin-san." Urahara called after Saya who was already picking up her packages and stepping out of the door.

The black cat she had been petting rubbed itself against Kisuke's ankles. "So that's the famous Ichijin?" It asked. "Do you think she knows any truth behind what happened?"

"It wouldn't surprise me if she did, the problem is, it's buried deep down in her memories." Urahara replied. "Come on, I'll get you some milk."

* * *

Souta had been feeling rather bored that entire day. He hated delivering messages to the Soutaicho. He had somehow wormed his way out of it for the last thirty years, so he wasn't surprised that he was called out directly this time. But the process hadn't changed from before. He stealthfully made his way to the Soutaicho's office, waited for him to read the long document from the king and reply with another long-winded record of some sort, then sneak his way back to the gate that led to the royal realm. Since he didn't want to be seen, he mainly stood in the office of the elderly head captain until he was done with his work. However, unlike other times, Souta had something to occupy his mind. He was sure that he was just imagining things, but he felt such a familiar reitsu when he had first entered the Sereitei. Of course, it had disappeared just as quickly, but he couldn't help but wonder if it had been…

"Please return this to His Majesty, the King." Yamamoto said while handing a rather large bundle of parchment to Souta, knocking him out of his trance.

"Hai. Thank you for your response, I will see His Majesty receives it immediately." With a quick bow, Souta started to make his way back to the gate. It was ready and waiting for him when he got there. He took his first step through and right as the gate was shutting behind him, Souta reeled around feeling the same reitsu that he had felt before. He tried to run out of the gate, but it had slammed in his face. No matter how much he wished it, he knew the gate would not open again. _I am just imagining things. Saya is dead... isn't she?_

* * *

**Author's Note**: Wow... I hope you guys aren't minding the long chapters... it just seems like there's a lot I need to get out... and I'm afraid if I shorten the chapters, I'll have 100 of them! GAH! So again, I hope you don't mind long chapters.

Thank you to: rukia23, Cara-Mae-Chan, firewaterearthwind, Ukitake-chan, SheDevil85, Fefisgbf13, Sorry Charlie for taking the time to post a review! I truly appreciate the comments and feedback that I've been getting. You're all so wonderful and I'm so lucky to have such awesome readers!

Please take a moment to review! Thanks!


	29. Chapter 29: Displeased Fukutaicho

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or anything that has to do with the Bleach franchise.

Warning: Another slight lemony sort of thing in this chapter... and some fluff. Yep.

* * *

Saya attempted to stifle another yawn. The night before, Juushiro hadn't been able to sleep and decided to wake Saya up in an "interesting" manner. Saya ended up not getting much sleep herself, and although feeling slightly euphoric from the night's events, she was also feeling exhausted.

"Fukutaicho, you look a little sleepy today. Are you feeling well?" A squad member asked Saya while she was mid-yawn.

"I'm fine. I'm not allowed to be a little tired from time to time?"

"Uh, no… what I mean is…"

"Anyway, we've been given orders to eradicate a hollow near the forest of the seventy-third district. You four have been chosen to come along with me. From the information our recon team gathered, we know this is an unusual hollow with interesting abilities. He's very fast and wily. However, if we stick to our attack plan, I think we will be successful in killing it. Nobody try to be the hero, it's important that we all stick together. Understood?"

"Hai, Lieutenant."

Saya looked at the four men who had been chosen to go along with her in this mission. Matsuyama-san, recently promoted tenth seat, was diligent and a good follower. Fujiwara-san was a new graduate and looked a little frightened, but excited at the same time. Takakura-san had joined the squad around the same time as Saya, although not as powerful, he had an eye for strategy that made him an important member of any team.

The one Saya was worried about was Izumi Motoya. He had been transferred from the third to the ninth squad only a few months ago. Known for brash behavior and disregarding orders, Izumi had quickly earned himself a bad reputation. Saya had been amazed with the patience her captain had shown this rough recruit and hoped that she would be able to do the same. But her final comment, warning no one to act on their own, was mainly for him.

"Right then, let's head out." Saya said to the men in front of her. They started at a slow pace, not wanting to waste their energy for when they had to confront the hollow. Also, Saya knew that Fujiwara still hadn't mastered shunpo, and didn't want to embarrass him in front of the others.

As expected, Takakura and Matsuyama had quickly engaged themselves in a conversation, Izumi had distanced himself a little from the group, and Fujiwara looked nervous.

"Fujiwara-san, come up here with me please." Saya said as she smiled at the young man. He blushed a little and then jogged to catch up with his lieutenant. "How are you feeling? Are you nervous?"

"A little, Kyouraku-fukutaicho. This is my first real mission since I joined the squad. We had dummy-hollow missions here and in the real world, but I have never dealt with a real one before."

"Oh great, a rookie. Just don't screw up, kid! I don't feel like getting injured because you make some idiot mistake." Izumi yelled from behind them. This caused Fujiwara to tense up and look even more nervous.

"Izumi-san, I don't remember inviting you into this conversation. Please keep your ears and thoughts to yourself. Thank you." Saya said without even turning around to look at Izumi as she spoke. Although her tone was sweet, the threat behind it could be heard clearly. Izumi's reitsu shrunk back in response. "Don't mind him, Fujiwara-san. We all have our roles to play. Besides, it was everyone's first time at one point or another. You are here with an experienced group, so rely on us to help you out and we will rely on you the same."

"Thank you. Please take care of me, Lieutenant, and I will do my best."

For the rest of the walk, Saya decided to try and get Fujiwara's mind off of the mission by asking him about the friends he made at school. He told her that his best friend had also been assigned to the ninth squad. Saya was happy for Fujiwara, none of the friends she made in school were assigned to the same squads and she didn't get to see them as often as she liked. When she did hang out with friends, it was usually Kaien, Rangiku, Ikkaku, and Yumichika anyway. But she did see Miroku and Hiami, her friends from the first district, more often than the others.

"Alright, we need to move carefully from here on out." Saya explained as they entered the edge of the forest. "The hollow is close; I'm sure you can all sense it. I want to draw it out into the open, it'll be easier for us to fight it but we run the risk of him heading for town. Remember our plan. Matsuyama, you'll attack its front, Takakura and Izumi, you'll flank its sides. Fujiwara and I will come in from the rear. Understood?"

"Hai."

"Remember what I said before. Everybody play their role and no one should get hurt. He's fast, so wherever he moves, always try to surround him. It will more difficult for him to get away and it'll be a faster kill for us."

"Hai, Fukutaicho."

Saya turned towards the trees. "Hmm, looks like we won't need to lure it out in the open after all. This hollow must be exceedingly arrogant to come to us so willingly."

A huge hollow stepped out through the trees and into the clearing that separated the edge of the district and the forest. Its body and legs reminded Saya of a lion with massive clawed feet, except this hollow was as tall as two-story building. Its round white mask was colored with deep purple lines that curved under its yellow eyes.

A long blue tongue licked around its exposed teeth. "What a tasty treat I have before me. Five soul reapears? One is a high ranking officer at that. I'll do you a favor and have you as my main course."

An evil smirk passed over Saya's lips in anticipation. "Everyone, to your positions!"

The five shinigami started to move around the giant hollow but it quickly dodged and avoided their maneuvers, laughing and mocking at them all the while. It swatted at them with massive claws, scattering their formation as they had to dodge to get out of the way. Its immense speed allowed it to attack quickly while the shinigami were attempting to collect themselves.

"Takakura, draw him towards you so that we can get into formation." Saya yelled as she drew her zanpakuto. Fujiwara had to roll out of the way of the hollow's back leg, which had almost crushed him.

_"Hanryo, how is this hollow so fast? We can't get around it. I've never seen a normal hollow move like this before."_

_"Something is off with its reitsu. It doesn't seem like a normal hollow to me."_

_"You're right, but I can't place the difference, only that something feels odd."_

Time and time again the group would move to surround the hollow and it would easily avoid their attempts. Saya realized that it was pushing them closer to the edge of town. If they didn't do something quickly, their fight would be carried out among the civilians, homes and buildings would be destroyed.

"Reform! Everyone to the front, we need to prevent it from moving any closer to town." Saya barked out orders.

Matsuyama, Fujiwara, and Saya all joined Takakura in front of the hollow. Izumi was the only one that didn't listen.

"Izumi, get over here immediately!" Saya yelled.

"I can take this hollow all by myself. I don't need your help. You guys are just getting in the way."

The hollow's attention had been diverted and it looked as though it would take off Izumi's head. Saya, Matsuyama and Takakura all moved as one to help Izumi who had clearly put himself in a bad position. A moment too late, Saya realized that they had been tricked. This whole time the hollow was trying to get them to separate, leaving one man alone. They had just allowed their weakest link, Fujiwara, to become exposed and unprotected.

Saya watched in horror as the hollow quickly changed its direction and appeared right in front of an unprepared Fujiwara. It sank its teeth into his left side, biting deep into his left shoulder. Fujiwara screamed out in pain and fell to the ground. Saya couldn't wait to reform the group and had to attack at this point.

"Blow through the skies of heaven, Kamikaze!" Saya slashed through the air and sent her boomerang shaped blades towards the hollow and watched as they sliced through the giant lion-like creature. Matsuyama jumped while Kamikaze's wind blades tore through the monster's body and brought his own zanpakuto down, slicing through the hollow's mask and effectively disintegrating it.

"Matsuyama-san, Takakura-san, please help Fujiwara-san as best you can." Saya ordered with an unpleasant edge to her voice. The two men flinched and ran over to their injured comrade. Saya turned her attention to Izumi.

Izumi had been watching the scene with a look of indifference, seemingly unaffected by the fact that one of his team members was almost killed by a hollow. Saya, however cold she looked on the outside, burned with rage on the inside. One look and it was all Izumi could do to stand up against the weight of her reitsu. Her face looked as if it had been carved from marble, her lips set in a fine line, and her slightly narrowed eyes bore into the very core of Izumi. His lungs fought to take in air against the pressure that was now piled on top of him.

"Fuku…taicho." He choked out. It wasn't like Izumi hadn't been under the weight of powerful spiritual pressures before, he had just never had one solely directed at him. It was if a tornado swarmed around him and slowly constricted itself around his being. On top of that, the look that he received from his lieutenant was terrifying. Saya's stone face, cold eyes, and firmly set jaw told Izumi just how insignificant she thought him to be.

Saya walked over to Izumi and grabbed his unsheated zanpakuto in her hand. "Perhaps you need a lesson in following orders? Your behavior not only put you at risk, but it put the rest of us at risk as well. Because of your carelessness, your deliberate actions to go against me, one of your comrades is injured. Who do you think you are to defy me?"

Izumi still couldn't move and a new sensation had begun to mix in with the pressure. Pain. His eyes moved to where Saya had gripped his sword and saw that a purple light was peeking through her fingertips. Izumi's eyes widened, he wasn't sure exactly what she was doing but he knew this was the source of the pain he felt.

"I have no care for subordinates who can't follow orders." Saya said in a flat voice as she sent a pulse down Izumi's zanpakuto and through his entire body. Izumi let out a scream as he fell to his knees. It felt like the tornado that had surrounded him before had coursed through all the veins and arteries of his body. The pressure inside of him was more than he could handle and it felt as if Saya's blades attacked him from within. Izumi checked to see if he was bleeding anywhere. Nothing. He looked up to see Saya with her back turned, walking towards Fujiwara and the others.

Saya received frightened looks from her other subordinates. Although her anger had not been directed at them, they were acting as though they had just been punished as well. Fujiwara held the most alarmed look on his face and felt like he would have run away if not for his injuries.

Saya stopped for a moment and found herself somewhat amused by the terrified look of Fujiwara. She allowed a small smile come to her features, but her eyes were still frozen. "Ne, Fujiwara-san, why do you look as though I'm about to murder you?" Saya asked, her voice becoming sweet. Fujiwara found this tone almost frightening as well.

He allowed a quick glance at Izumi who was breathing hard and holding himself as though he might fall apart if he let go. "Kyouraku-fukutaicho can be rather scary."

"So it seems." Saya said, her colder tone returning.

"What did you do him?" Matsuyama whispered.

"I directly attacked his zanpakuto using a specialized form of kidou." Saya answered very matter of factly, however she couldn't remember when she had learned this particular technique. "The zanpakuto is a part of you, so in essence, it's like attacking part of your life force without leaving any physical damage. Let me correct myself, it doesn't leave visible damage. I hear it's extremely painful to have your zanpakuto attacked in such a way." She knelt next to her injured team member and lifted her hand. Fujiwara flinched and then others held their breath, it seemed as though she might strike him. It caught them all of guard when she ruffled his hair.

"Fukutaicho?" Fujiwara seemed confused.

"I promised that we would all take care of each other. It was a promise I was unable to keep." Saya looked down at his injury, it still wasn't healed but he could be taken to the fourth division now that the bleeding had lessened. "We head back. Matsuyama-san, please help Fujiwara-san to the medical division once we enter the Sereitei."

* * *

Saya walked through the doors of her brother's manor and into the back gardens. Shunsui had invited her and Juushiro over for dinner and she was looking forward to visiting with her brother. She heard their smooth voices and jovial tones carry over through the air. After the day she had, she was happy to be in presence of the two men she admired most. After reporting to her captain about the mission, Saya had spent the remainder of the afternoon by Fujiwara's side in the fourth division.

"Hello, Imo-chan." Shunsui said as he lifted his sake glass to toast her presence.

Juushiro got up to give Saya a hug and chaste peck on the cheek.

"I heard you've had a trying day." Shunsui said.

"Is that so? Where did you hear that from, Aniki?" Saya asked, knowing how fast rumors could spread in the Sereitei.

"Oh, little birds fly fast and their beaks fly faster."

"I see."

"I heard you can be rather scary when you're angry. Do you think you had to be that rough on poor Izumi-san?" Shunsui said with a knowing smile. "I heard he's been down at the local tavern all afternoon, apparently he'll randomly start to shake and breaks out into a cold sweat because of your punishment."

An amused smile played on Saya's features as she turned her head away from her brother and Juushiro. "How I choose to deal with my subordinates shouldn't be any of your concern, Aniki. Did it occur to you that maybe Izumi acted in a way that put himself and his team members at risk? Perhaps he deserved whatever consequences he brought on himself. Besides, I was not so harsh." Saya turned her attention back to her brother. Her face was calm and still wore the small smile, but behind her eyes warned Shunsui not to speak further on the subject.

Shunsui chuckled slightly. He was graced with another one of her looks that were only learned within the highest of circles. "Very well, Saya-chan. Let's speak on other subjects, shall we? Juushiro was telling me that you've been picked to be a guest lecturer in the advanced-level kidou course."

"Hai, but that's not until next month. It should be fun. I'm interested to meet one student in particular. Apparently, he failed the entrance exam a couple of times before he was admitted. Now he's at the top of the advanced class. Even though he has a two more years to go, they're already saying he'll be seated. I hear they won't let him graduate early because he's from a poor district in Rukongai, though."

"What's his name?" Juushiro asked.

"I'm not sure. Hizaku? Kisagi? Something like that. We'll see."

The rest of the evening continued from there. Saya hadn't laughed with her brother in a long time and it was nice to be in his company. She always enjoyed listening to Juushiro and Shunsui talk about the trouble they would get into and out of during their days in the academy. But it never surprised Saya when Shunsui would talk about one of his many female conquests. Generally, those stories were amusing as well, and it seemed that poor Juushiro had to rescue Shunsui from the torture of ex-lovers more times then either of them cared to remember.

From time to time, Shunsui would remind Juushiro of one of his ex-lovers. It seemed that Juushiro was just as popular among women in the academy as Shunsui, although he didn't take advantage of the situation. However, he did have women that doted on him and would return the favor from time to time. Juushiro would just smile when Shunsui would talk about these things and give a laugh or two. It was all Saya could do to pretend to be amused when Shunsui brought up Juushiro's ex-lovers. She would politely laugh and feign amusement so as not to seem jealous, but she hated hearing about them.

Saya would sit there and switch from spiteful thoughts about these unknown women to chastising herself for having the same thoughts in the first place. It was unreasonable for her to get mad at Juushiro's past. He was much older and had more experience than she did. She was grateful that he wasn't like Shunsui, however, she didn't think that she could handle that.

Juushiro looked over at Saya and could see her irritation at the current conversation. Even if she put up a farce, he could always see past it. "Forgive us, Shunsui, but I think it's time we all retire."

Shunsui stopped his rambling and gave a quick look in Saya's direction and an understanding twinkle came to his eye. "Of course, of course." He said with a wave of his hand. "Just let me say goodnight to my sister. I'll send her out to you in a minute."

Juushiro raised a curious eyebrow but left the siblings alone. Shunsui went over to Saya and embraced her in a tight hug.

"Thank you for dinner, Aniki. I was happy to have…"

"You can forgive your silly old brother for such things, can't you Imo-chan?" Shunsui asked.

Saya looked up at Shunsui, not entirely understanding his meaning.

"Although I find those stories amusing, they must cause you some pain. It's never fun to hear about a lover's past. Even the most steadfast women can feel jealous and unsure."

Saya buried her head in Shunsui's chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I hate the thoughts that come to my head when I hear about those women." She whispered.

Shunsui kissed the top of her head. "Don't hold those thing against Juushiro. I assure you, the love he has for you is special. Those other women had none of his affection when compared to what he gives you." Shunsui felt Saya's smile. "So forgive me for being so foolish."

"Don't worry about it, Aniki. I'm fine, promise."

* * *

"You've been here a lot more than usual, Souta-kun. I thought you were over her death, but recently it seems to bother you more."

Souta turned to see a familiar face, the first man that Saya had introduced him to when she brought Souta to the King's Realm; her grandfather. Whenever Souta looked at the man in front of him, he was reminded even more of Saya. Their eyes were the same shade of blue.

"Good evening, sir. It's just that something reminded me of her and she's been on my mind a lot lately."

"Oh? What might that be?" The old man asked, his voice sounding much younger than his true age.

"When I was delivering that message to the Soutaicho a few months ago, there were two occasions when I thought that I felt her spiritual pressure. I started to think that maybe she's really alive, sir."

The old man's face turned from a gentle smile to cold and severe. "Saya is dead, Souta-kun. Don't say such things so carelessly."

"Forgive me, sir." Souta bowed his head in apology. If anyone had wanted Saya alive as much as him, it would be her own grandfather. Souta couldn't imagine losing a daughter and then granddaughter; both were killed by an ambush of hollows.

"I've accepted it, you should too. Please don't speak of this again."

"Hai. Forgive me, sir."

Souta watched as the old man walked away. _Saya-sama, are you really alive? If you really are alive, why are you not here? What happened that you wouldn't have come back? I will find out if that was you or not. I promise. I don't know how I'll be able to get back into the Sereitei anytime soon, but somehow I'll figure out a way._

* * *

The walk back to Juushiro's home had been relatively quiet and peaceful. After such a long day, Saya was happy to crawl into bed and curl up next to Juushiro. He cradled her in his chest and stroked her hair as she feel in to a deep slumber…

"Souta-kun, how was your first mission without me? Did you make his majesty proud?" Saya asked a young looking boy. Unbeknownst to him, Saya had been pacing back and forth while waiting for him to return. She didn't like the fact that Souta was so young yet already made to go out on dangerous missions. It made her even more anxious that she wasn't allowed to go with him and the rest of the group this time. "Souta, you're hurt." Saya gasped when she saw the gash on his upper left arm.

Souta was glad that he hadn't yet taken off his mask; he could tell he was blushing as Saya tenderly touched his wound with her fingertips. "I'm fine, Saya-sama. Stop worrying so much."

Even though he said it with an annoyed tone, Saya could tell that he was glad she was there to welcome him back. "Let's get you cleaned up." Saya took Souta by the hand and dragged him off to the healers so they could tend to his wound.

"Saya, Souta-kun knows his own way to the medical center. Why don't you let him go on by himself? I need to speak with you a little."

Saya turned back around to see her grandfather looking at her with a kind smile. Even though his beard and hair were white, his voice always sounded so strong and full of vigor. "Yes, ojii-sama." Saya turned back to Souta. "I will come find you later."

Saya's grandfather held out his hand and Saya accepted it and walked side-by-side with the old man. "Ojii-sama, I wanted to take Souta-kun to see the healers. I was worried about him the entire time he was gone. He's too young to go on missions fighting hollows. He hasn't even been here that long to be properly trained."

"Are you saying you doubt Souta-kun in his abilities?"

"No. I just worry because I care about Souta. I know that he will be a fine guardsmen someday and I know that fighting hollows will always be a part of his job; but I didn't like waiting to see if he made it back okay." Saya looked up at her grandfather and received a warm smile.

"He is one of the few that receives your love and kindness. So many others wish to be in your good graces and yet you politely disregard them. Souta-kun is very lucky to have you in his life, as am I. I am glad that you favor your grandfather, ne? But now you know how I feel when I send you off on your missions. And Souta-kun was even with others. You are often sent by yourself and I do nothing but worry until you report back to me. But it is something that we must endure when we love another. Souta may be young, but he is not a small child and at twelve years old, he is more than capable of performing the duties of a man. Do not baby him so much."

"Is that why you stopped me from taking him to the healers?"

"Part of it. I also wanted to spend some time with my granddaughter before I lose her to that boy. Now that he is back, your attention will be only on him."

"I like spending time with Souta-kun."

"I know you do, and I haven't said anything about it because you still train and your tutors tell me your educational performance hasn't decreased any. But I worry you might fall in love with that boy."

"Ojii-sama, don't say such things. It's true that I care for Souta-kun very much, but he is so much younger than I am."

"The difference will not always be so great between your ages once he is grown. But he is a commoner and you are destined for a much greater person. You have important duties to your sovereign, do not forget."

"Of course, ojii-sama. I will always look forward to serving my king to the best of my ability. I know that I will not always be able to perform my role as I do now, and when that time comes, I will be sure to provide an heir to my position so that she may continue my work as I have continued my mother's." Saya smiled as she bumped her grandfather's side in a playful way.

"I am lucky, indeed." He gave his granddaughter a kiss on top of her head. "I'm sure the healers are done with Souta-kun, go and look for him if you wish."

"Thank you. I will."

Saya rushed towards Souta's reitsu. She could tell that he was waiting in their favorite garden, the one with the large sakura tree where the moon could be seen easily. Ever since her mother had died, Saya had been lonely. Her grandfather was an important man and couldn't be bothered with her silliness. However, when her mother died, it also meant that Saya took on the responsiblities that her mother once carried, so it didn't leave her with a lot of time to feel sorry for herself. But Souta had been the first person that Saya had taken a true interest in, outside of her own family, and she enjoyed playing with him and they trained together everyday. He eased her lonliness, and she eased his. Saya felt like she and Souta could do anything together.

Seeing Souta sitting against the tree, Saya couldn't help but smile. A playful breeze blew through his hair and his eyes didn't hold the sadness they once did. "Souta-kun, how's your wound?"

"All healed." He said as he pointed to his arm.

"That's good." Saya positioned herself between the tree and Souta so that he could lean against her and she could wrap her arms around him. "I was really worried about you, you know? I've never worried about anyone else before. To be honest, I don't often care if the others come back, as long as they do what's in the best interest of the king and perform their duty well. But with you, I was worried that you'd be badly hurt or that you wouldn't come back at all."

Souta leaned his head against Saya's shoulder. "I'll always come back, especially if Saya-sempai is waiting for me. I always want to return to Saya-sempai."

"Good, because I will always come back to Souta-kun. We will always be by each other's side. We will always be together, I promise. Okay, Souta-kun?" Saya tightened her embrace around the little boy she viewed as a younger brother.

Souta blushed and then found his head being turned so that his eyes met Saya.

"Souta-kun, your eyes aren't sad anymore. I'm glad to see you are happy."

Souta blushed even more and look away slightly. "It's because Saya-sama has chased away the sadness. I can't feel sad when I'm around Saya-sama."

Saya smiled and hugged the small boy even tighter as they gazed up at the moon.

* * *

Saya opened her eyes. It was still dark outside and in no way was she ready to get out of bed. She turned to see Juushiro sleeping peacefully beside her, a few coughs interrupting his otherwise rhythmic breathing.

_"That dream has come to me almost every night since I visited the real world, that was months ago. Why is that the only memory that shows itself to me now?"_

_"I don't have complete control over what you do and don't see, Saya-sama. If I did, I probably would have censored some of your more terrifying memories."_ Hanryo answered back. _"And I probably would have given you more of a variety. I'm rather bored of this memory myself, albeit it's an important one for you."_

_"Souta-kun looks so young in these memories. I guess I do too, about fifteen or sixteen."_ Saya turned her attention to her sleeping lover. His face so passive, so peaceful, and Saya couldn't help but smile.

_"Are you admiring the pretty taicho?"_

_"I can't help it."_

_"Saya-sama truly loves the pretty captain. In fact, she cares for a lot of people here in the Sereitei. Shunsui-aniki, Kaien-dono, Byakuya-sama, Hisana-sama, Rangiku-san… the list goes on and on."_

_"You say that as if it's an odd thing?"_

_"What your grandfather said was true. Although you were always polite and behaved accordingly, you did not really bestow any true kindness on others. The only ones you truly allowed close to you were your mother, grandfather, and Souta-kun. Even Urahara-san, who you often visited, was kept at a distance."_

_"What about my father?"_

_"…Hai, Saya-sama enjoyed his company when she was around him."_

_"But I didn't know him well?"_

_"Saya-sama never really learned much about her father's nature."_

_"You're so vague."_ But Saya allowed herself to be distracted by Juushiro. His white hair was splayed around him, his bare chest rose and fell with each breath, and his lips looked so inviting.

Saya couldn't help herself, being that she was awake anyway, she felt that Juushiro should awake too. Besides, she could just return the favor from the night before. She scooted herself close to him, not wanting to wake him up just yet, and gently pressed her lips on his.

"Mmmm." Juushiro snaked his arms around Saya. "What a way to be woken up. It's still dark, isn't it?" He said sleepily, his eyes barely open as he spoke.

"Uh-huh." Saya said as she leaned down and kissed him again. She could feel Juushiro smile into their kiss.

"What is this for?"

"I hate it when Shunsui talks about women from your past. I don't want you to ever think of those women. I don't want you to remember them. I want to erase, from your body, the pleasurable feelings those women gave to you and replace them with mine. I only want you to remember how you feel with me." Saya whispered in Juushiro's ear.

"Well, since we're both up anyway." He said as he rolled Saya so that she was on her back and he hovered over her. "And I wouldn't want to hurt you by rejecting your attempts."

Saya smiled as Juushiro removed her sleeping kimono, the chill of the night air against her skin made the warmth of Juushiro's that much more exciting. His fingertips gave her goosebumps and the sensations his hands sent through her body made her bite her lip. Her nails scratched down his back as she tried to pull him closer to her.

"Juushiro." Saya whispered.

Juushiro lifted himself into a kneeling position and pulled Saya on top of him so that she could straddle his lap and wrap herself around his body. Saya readily complied with his desires and exulted in the feeling of their two forms becoming one. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders as Juushiro's hands made their way to her hips, and guided Saya in a smooth rhythm against him. Saya's head tilted back and she arched her body as Juushiro brought her to ultimate pleasure, Juushiro following in kind.

"Mmmm, Juushiro." Saya slumped into his body. "I'm lightheaded."

Juushiro chuckled slightly and laid Saya back down on the bed and gave her gentle kisses on her temple.

"Mmmm." Saya said as she rolled onto her side, sleep quickly subduing her already exhausted body. Juushiro lay behind her, throwing his arm over her and pulling Saya next to him. His hand fell over her waist and he breathed in the lavender scent of her hair.

"Saya?" Juushiro whispered, but didn't receive a reply. He smiled and continued anyway. "You erased those a long time ago."

* * *

**Author's Note**: Thank you to firewaterearthwind, rukia23, Ukitake-chan, Daydreamer Magby, Refisgbf13, Sorry Charlie, Cara-Mae-Chan, Bleecheese, German Bubbles, and HaloteveCV for taking the time to post a review and or comment for last chapter.

This chapter was a rough one for me. It wasn't until i wrote it, and then moped over it for awhile that I figured out what I didn't like about it and then rearranged a bunch of stuff and added some things and took out some things that I was finally happy enough with it to post. So sorry for the delay. I hope you enjoyed.

Please take the time to review now. Thank you so much!


	30. Chapter 30: Hello Goodbye

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or anything that has to do with the Bleach franchise.

* * *

_"This is much better than when I had to teach kidou as punishment. I can't even remember how many times I came home with burnt skin or singed hair."_ Saya said to Hanryo.

_"That poor kid was pretty horrible."_ Hanryou said from the back of Saya's mind.

_"Yeah, I wonder what happened to him?"_ Saya's question went unanswered but she returned her attention back to the students in front of her. As promised to Yamamoto-soutaicho, Saya was a guest lecturer for the advanced kidou students, year four. She was teaching them Hadou thirty-one, Red Flame Cannon.

"Everyone, gather around me for a minute." Saya waited as the students formed a circle around her before she continued. "Everyone is doing very well; it's easy to see why you are all in this advanced level course. I know it's your first lesson for Hadou thirty-one, but I see a lot of you falling short of the target. Perhaps it would help if I demonstrated?"

Saya positioned herself so that she was in practice range to hit one of the large round targets on the other side of the kidou fields.

"It's not enough if you just say the incantation. It's true that as your strength grows, so does the power of your kidou incantation. However, you'll never be able to produce it at your full strength if you rely solely on recitation alone. How do you think the captains are able to produce powerful kidou without use of the incantation? It's because they are able to control, focus, and form their reitsu; therefore, they only need the final command in order to perform it. Of course, you'll always get the most power with use of the incantation along with the ability to focus your spiritual pressure, but I digress. What I'm trying to say is that you need to be aware of focusing your reitsu as you say the words. Let me demonstrate."

Saya held out her left palm in the direction of the target and focused her reitsu so that a small glow started to emit from the palm of her hand before she started saying the invocation for the kidou spell.

"Oh ruler, mask of flesh and blood, all creations of the universe, fluttering of the wings, ye who bears the name man!" The glow in Saya's hand started to take on a red tint and it seemed to swirl around as it gained power and momentum. "Scortching heat and disorder, evolve the transposition of the souther sea barrier. Hadou thirty-one, Shakkahou!"

With the final summons, the red flame cannon shot across the field and easily hit the target. The students cheered at her small fete.

_"These young ones are easily amazed."_ Kamikaze said as he folded his arms behind his head and closed his eyes, readying himself for a nap.

_"They do seem a little more impressed than they should __otherwise , ne? Oh well, once they do it themselves it won't seem like such a big deal."_ Saya answered back.

"Alright everybody, now it's your turn to try again." Saya said aloud to the students. They all seemed excited to try it out. Quite a few students were able to lengthen their attack, even if it didn't hit the targets. Several more managed to hit the target. However, one boy in particular caught Saya's eye. Before she had given her demonstration, he had already been able to hit the target and now he was producing more power behind it. His power was controlled, not out of control.

"You there, what's your name?" Saya asked as he turned away from his target.

The young man walked over to her and gave her a low bow. "Hisagi Shuuhei."

Realization dawned on Saya. This was the boy she wanted to meet.

"You are very talented, Hisagi-kun."

Hisagi blushed a little but said his thanks. He seemed more mature that the other students in his class. Saya wondered if it wasn't because he was older than them. She knew he had "failed" the entrance exam twice before he was let in, so it wasn't a stretch to say that he might be older than his fellow classmates. This Hisagi could easily be in with the sixth-year students. He had the skills, and from what Saya had heard, his classroom grades were good as well.

"Hisagi-kun, please look at me." Hisagi hadn't looked Saya in the face sense she had called him over. When he finally looked at her she smiled at him. There was a question on her mind that she couldn't help but ask. "Ne, Hisagi-kun, why do you have that tattoo on your face?"

"It's because of a man I don't even know." He started. Saya raised an eyebrow, curious for him to continue. "When I was really young I was saved by a captain from the protection squads. He had a sixty-nine tattooed on his body. It was to indicate which district he had grown up in. I'm from the same one. All my life I had been told that because I was some poor kid from a low district that I wouldn't amount to anything, that I wouldn't become a shinigami. But when I saw that someone, who had grown up just like me, was able to because a captain then I knew that I could do it too. So I tattooed myself in honor of him and the encouragement I got from that stranger. Maybe some kid from the sixty-ninth district will see me someday and know that he can become something better."

Saya gave a heartfelt smile to the young man standing in front of her. She could tell he felt a little embarrassed by saying all of that so suddenly, but she was happy that he shared.

"Thank you for telling me this, Hisagi-kun. I'm sure that you'll be a top ranked soul reaper yourself one day. I'll be sure to tell my captain about you. Perhaps you'll be in my squad?"

Hisagi's initial look was shock but he quickly covered that and bowed low to Saya. "Kyouraku-fukutaicho… thank you."

Saya chuckled a bit to herself and then dismissed the class. "Thank you for all of your hard work today. I will be sure to let your sensei know how well you all performed."

Saya waited for the fields to clear before she turned back to a target. "Bone of a straggling beast, spire, crimson crystal, disc of steel, when the wind shifts and the emptiness ceases, let the clash of lances resonate through the relinquished castle. Hadou sixty-three, Raikouhou!" A massive wave of thunder sought and destroyed the target, leaving only half the post left.

"Impressive, Kyouraku-san. A level sixty kidou with that much power? I can see why you were asked as a guest lecturer."

Saya spun around to see Aizen walking towards her, hands folded behind his back, and that warm smile on his face.

"You flatter me, Aizen-taicho, but thank you for your kind words. I still think that all of my kidou control comes from my lesson with you. Yet you still won't allow me to call you 'sensei.'" Saya bowed.

Aizen chuckled and pat her head as he often did. "Now I'm flattered, but I can't say that I've done all that much with your training. You just like to give me credit. I just came down for a quick peek at what you were doing, I have to be getting on my way."

"Of course, Taicho, thank you for taking the time to come and visit me. Even if it was only for a few minutes, I appreciate it."

* * *

"Good afternoon, Taicho." Saya greeted her captain as she walked in the office. "I have a recruit that you'd be interested in."

"Is that so?"

"Hai, keep in mind the name Hisagi Shuuhei. I think that he'd make a great addition to our squad, even if it's not for a couple more years. He's really talented, mature, and a lot of his classmates look up to him. He'd be perfect for the ninth squad."

* * *

Saya opened her eyes and allowed the memory from that day to fade away. As expected, Hisagi had made a great addition to the ninth squad. He was talented, fair, and was good at following orders. He was given the eight seat upon entry and lived up to the expectations, an natural leader in his own right. Saya turned to look towards her subordinate, who was diligently filling out paper work, her thoughts turning down another road as she spoke.

"Hisagi-kun, do you mind if I ask you a favor?"

"Hai, Kyouraku-fukutaicho."

"Do you mind finishing up here today? I don't seem to have the attention span needed to complete the task." It wasn't often that Saya slacked off on her own duties, but she found herself unable to concentrate.

"Hai, fukutaicho."

"It's almost complete, so it shouldn't take you long. Thank you, Hisagi-kun. I owe you one." She quickly left the offices and set out towards her destination. She decided to take her time getting there, no need to rush. Saya often found herself dashing to get there and then feeling useless as there wasn't really anything she could do except provide her presence. But even though she tried…

He had become cold towards her.

Saya sighed, chastising herself for such selfish thoughts. It wasn't his fault, really. Anyone would be cold towards another in this situation. Even though he told her not to bother, Saya stayed with him anyway, day after day. Saya knew that her being near was a comfort. He never turned her away even if he said that Saya didn't need to stay. He never told her to leave.

Taking her time to get there seemed to allow Saya the mental preparation to face this again. Saya didn't know how he could bear it, day in and day out, night after night.

She knocked.

"Oh, Kyouraku-sama, welcome back. Kuchiki-sama is at Hisana-sama's bedside. I'll take you to them."

"Thank you." To Saya, Hisana had always seemed frail. Her current state only confirmed those suspicions. Of course, she hadn't lived in the healthiest of conditions before she had married Byakuya. The stress she placed on herself didn't help. Saya never knew what it was that Hisana was searching for. Hisana always seemed elsewhere, even in the presence of Byakuya. Something that Saya could never understand. Saya remembered the day that Hisana had asked her help so that she could be the kind of wife that Byakuya deserved. As far as Saya could tell, Hisana never really tried to live up to that. It wasn't as if Hisana was unkind, cruel, or negligent. But their love was on different levels from one another. Saya could never put her finger on it, but was always too afraid to ask Byakuya. Even if they were friends, it was none of her business. At the end of his wife's life, it wasn't Hisana that Saya came here for everyday, it was Byakuya. He had even taken a short leave from his shinigami duties to be by her bedside.

The knock from the maid on the screen door broke Saya from her thoughts and the emotionless voice that could only belong to Byakuya rang through, allowing their entry.

Hisana was asleep, her hand in his. Byakuya, never took his eyes off of his wife.

"You don't have to be here." He said to Saya, not bothering to look up at her.

"I know." She didn't ask if there was anything that she could do. He would have said no like he had so many times before.

"She's been asleep for awhile." He said softly.

Saya looked at her friend. "But it looks like you haven't gotten any sleep."

Byakuya sat there but didn't deny her words. It surprised Saya when he asked if she would like to take a walk with him through the gardens.

"I don't think she'll be up for awhile and it would do me some good to get out of this room." His explanation to Saya's unasked question.

It was silent for awhile, neither of them having much to say or knowing exactly what to say in this sort of situation.

"Byakuya-sama, I had a funny thought about you earlier." Saya said, then instantly regretted saying it. He wouldn't like it.

"What was that?"

"Oh, it's nothing after all. I doubt very much that you would find it amusing."

"….."

Saya sighed. "I was thinking about how cold you've become towards me."

"That's funny?" He asked, incredulous.

"Well, I guess it's amusing because it's not like you've ever been particularly warm with me, or anyone for that matter. So saying that you've become cold, it's like saying a piece of ice has become more frozen." Saya tried to laugh but it came out unnaturally and blushed when she saw the blank expression on Byakuya's face. "Forgive me, Byakuya-sama. I shouldn't be saying such things."

"It's fine," He turned his back on her and started walking towards the koi pond. "At least you're being truthful. I suppose you always have been with me."

The silence once again made the air heavy as Saya walked behind the young lord.

"Spring will be coming soon. Perhaps Hisana-sama's condition will better itself with the good weather?" She said, trying to give him a bit of hope.

* * *

_"Hisana passed away yesterday evening. I will mourn her death._

_Kuchiki Byakuya"_

Saya read over the short letter that her friend had sent her for the hundredth time. Looking up at the large sakura tree she sat under, Saya noticed the blossoms that were barely starting to bloom. She couldn't fathom the heartbreak that Byakuya had to be dealing with in that moment. If anything had ever happened to Juushiro, if Saya couldn't be with him…

She flashed to the thirteenth division and let herself into the offices without knocking first.

"Dammit Saya, what the hell is that all about? I knocked my ink bottle over." Kaien yelled, he had been startled by her sudden entrance.

"Forgive me, Kaien-dono."

"Saya, are you alright?" Juushiro, faster to noticed the panicked look on Saya's face went and embraced her softly. "What has got you so worked up?" He whispered in her ear.

Saya felt like a fool in that moment. What had she been thinking? The note from Byakuya had upset her, but for the wrong reasons. _I really am a selfish creature._ She thought to herself. _I should be mourning the death of a friend. Instead, I'm scared about losing my own lover. Who does this sort of thing? How horrible am I?_

"Saya?" He whispered again, pushing her away slightly so that he could look at her face.

"I'm sorry…" She started but couldn't seem to finish as her thoughts traveled to a place she wasn't expecting. Souta filled her thoughts as she wondered if he had felt this way when she never came back. The memories of her anxiously awaiting his safe homecoming filled her mind. How would it have felt to lose him?

Juushiro looked at her face again, knowing she was somewhere else in her mind.

"Hisana-sama has passed away." Saya finally managed to choke out.

Kaien stopped mopping up the ink mess to stare at Saya who had buried her head in Juushiro's chest.

"Kaien, please take care of things for me here, I'll be taking Saya home and staying with her for the remainder of the day."

"Of course, Taicho."

Juushiro led Saya outside and started towards their little home on the water.

"Wait." She said. Juushiro stopped and turned to look at Saya, a look of concern covered his handsome face. "Should we go to the Kuchiki manor?"

"No. Give Byakuya today to grieve for his loss. I'm sure he doesn't want to have to try to keep his mask up for anyone at this time."

Although she wanted to argue, she didn't. Saya just wanted to be with Juushiro more than anything in that moment and allowed herself to be led the rest of the way to their house. Juushiro didn't say anything else to her on their short walk, nor did he say anything when he opened the door to let them inside. He led Say to the couch and pushed her so that she fell down on her back. Before she could get up, Juushiro was laying on top of her with his ear pressed to her chest.

"What else are you upset by, then?" He asked, his kind voice soothing to her ears.

Saya swallowed hard before she spoke. "I can't imagine how Byakuya must feel right now. When I tried, all I thought was that I didn't ever want to be separated from you. It pained me to think of a world without you in it. Then I thought…" But Saya was having a hard time making herself say it. She didn't want to be _this_ honest with him.

"Yes?"

"I thought of how selfish I was. To be thinking about how much I would hurt, instead of feeling sorry for my friend."

"Hmm… how selfish indeed? But that's not what you were going to say."

Saya lay there, relieved that Juushiro was still laying on her chest so that she wouldn't have to look at him. She knew the look on her face would give her away.

"So go ahead and say it." He prodded gently.

Saya sighed, feeling slightly defeated even though she hadn't even put up a fight. "I thought of Souta-kun." She whispered.

Ever since their fight many years ago over Souta, Juushiro and Saya and had pretended that he hadn't really existed. Neither of them ever mentioned him from then on. It had been like a unspoken agreement, which she had just broken.

"Why?" Juushiro's voice slightly less gentle than before.

Saya knew she had angered him slightly, but also knew that it was too late to not be honest with him. "I was close to Souta-kun. Not the way that you and I are close, from what I can tell by my jumbled memories, but close. I loved him, not in the same way that I love you. Juushiro, please understand that."

"From what you can tell." He said, a little harsher than he meant to.

Saya pretended not to notice. "I was thinking it must have been hard on him with me not returning to wherever it is. Here I am, happy with you and not mourning over anything other than the _thought_ of not having you. So I really am a selfish sort of person."

Juushiro sighed and then lifted himself so that he could give Saya a small kiss.

"You needn't worry yourself over such things. I am here with you now; so don't think about losing me. I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon." He gave her another kiss. "We will go pay our respects to Hisana tomorrow."

Saya nodded and understood, sense he made no comment on the subject, he was still honoring their unspoken agreement not to mention Souta.

* * *

An old man looked at a picture of his granddaughter that he kept in his private offices. There were several portraits of her hanging on various walls, all of them depicting her in the finest of fabrics, the brightest of colors, layers of kimonos and yukatas, her blonde hair in elaborate head pieces; but none were as precious as this one that sat in a small wooden frame on his desk. In this picture she didn't look grand or stately, she looked happy and content. Unlike the other portraits, she was smiling in this picture and was dressed rather plainly for a girl of her status. Her blue eyes a perfect reflection of her mother's, of his.

It had been several years since Souta had started bothering him about allowing him entrance to the Sereitei. The old man knew that Souta was wasting his time, hoping where there was no hope and deliberately chose others to run his errands to the Sereitei. What the old man had been even more frustrated with was that he had allowed himself to experience that same false hope from time to time. He often wondered if Souta had truly felt Saya's presence that day.

No, again it was false hope that was making him weak. The old man had been sure to prohibit Souta from reentering the Sereitei until he got the notion out of his head that Saya was still alive somehow.

The old man sighed and stroked his white beard. Even if Saya had been alive, what could be the reason that she didn't return to him? If anything, she was loyal and always took her duty seriously. She even understood the importance of marrying someone of high standing in order to continue her line. No, if Saya was alive she would have returned. Therefore, she had to be dead. Hadn't all the evidence pointed to her being ambushed by hollows? Even her zanpakuto had never been recovered. Even her zanpakuto… Once again foolish thoughts raced into his mind and he shook his head in effort to rid himself of the questions that plaqued him.

_Damn that Souta, filling my head with all this nonsense._

But in the back of his mind, the old man couldn't help but allow the hope to grow a little bigger. Everyday it grew, perhaps minutely, but it grew; and with that, his curiosity.

* * *

"You can call me Ichijin." Saya said to the blonde haired captain before flashing out of his research lab.

_"If anyone knows I revealed my face to a member of the Gotei thirteen, a captain no less, I'm sure to receive a severe punishment."_

_"You reveal your face to your father."_ Kamikaze mused.

_"Yes, but I don't think that counts as much. Of course I could trust my father with my identity. He'd be in trouble too, anyway. It's forbidden that he and my mother should have even met, let alone continued their secret affair. He'd be in much worse than me if anyone knew."_

_"I see, so you both keep each other's secrets."_

_"Haha, what a perfect father, daughter relationship, ne?"_ Saya said sarcastically. _"One in which deception is key. How cruel to have such a kind father, yet I can't even acknowledge him as such."_

_"Yes, I think that your mother fell in love with a good man. He has put himself at great risk to continue to have a relationship with you as well."_

_"I don't think there is a man out there as wonderful as my father."_

_"Ah, spoken like a true daughter."_ Kamikaze laughed.

Saya smirked as she continued towards the dingy old pub in which she was to meet her father. Her Kimono wasn't good for a fast pace, or running really at all, so she was slow in making it to her destination.

The tavern was in a very poor part of Rukongai. Saya knew immediately that she had dressed far too well for that sort of place, and sighed at her failed attempt to blend in.

_"I wish you hadn't left my zanpakuto form with your father, even if he is brining it when he comes. I don't like you to be without it."_

_"There's no reason for you to fear. Look, the place is almost completely deserted, save for the barman and the one customer." _Saya said as she walked through to a private, corner booth. _"Father should be here any minute."_

Saya seated herself in the shabby booth, facing the door so that she could see her father when he entered.

The door opened.

* * *

Saya never felt like being physically violent towards Juushiro before that moment. Apparently, he hadn't been sleeping at all and thought that maybe a little physical exertion would exhaust him enough that he could sleep too.

"Juushiro!" Saya screamed at him as she pushed him off of her.

He looked a little hurt from the rejection, it wasn't like he hadn't done this to her before. Not once had she ever denied him.

"What are you doing?" She hissed at him.

"Nothing I haven't done before." He said, trying to make a joke out of it and knock her from her angered state.

"Well do it by yourself!" She spat as she knocked his hand away.

Juushiro now just looked surprised. Trying to avoid looking at his face, Saya threw the covers off of her and stomped out of the room. Now she was too keyed up to go back to sleep. Saya made her way to the bathroom and slammed the door.

_"My my my, what is this all about, Saya-sama? Are you actually _refusing_ your pretty Juushiro? Could it be that you're not in the mood?"_

_"Shut it. You know exactly why I'm mad and something tells me you're not upset that my dream was interrupted."_ Saya ran the hot water and filled the tub before she sank herself into the warm water. Hanryo didn't try to say anything else, although Saya could see him smirking from the corners of her mind.

A few minutes of quiet helped Saya calm down, slightly. But when she heard the door open her anger swelled up again. Grabbing the closest thing in reach, Saya lobbed the object at Juushiro. He easily caught the pumice stone in one hand and continued to walk towards the tub.

"Stupid shinigami captain with your stupid reflexes." Saya mumbled to herself. She sighed, knowing that she was acting like a bratty child and that didn't help allay her irritation.

Juushiro sat on the edge of the tub. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't expect for you to always been open and willing to bend to my desires, especially when you're sleeping soundly. It was discourteous for me to take advantage of you like that."

Saya looked towards the wall so that she wouldn't have to look at Juushiro, who was giving her a heartfelt apology. It was always hard to be mad at him for long, especially when he sounded so sincere.

After a few moments of silence, Juushiro made to leave the bathroom but Saya grabbed out for his hand, though her gaze didn't follow her touch. "I was dreaming about my past. It was a new dream and you interrupted. That's why I was angry. I'm not angry about you wanting to be intimate with me."

Juushiro pulled loose from her grip, undressed himself and joined Saya in the bath. It was then that Saya met his gaze.

He held out his hands to her and she willingly went to him, placing her legs on either side of his, facing him. He began to kiss her wet chest while he wrapped his arms around her, linking them behind her back.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" He asked as he sunk lower in the water, bringing Saya down with him.

"It was the night I was attacked. I know because I had left from Urahara-san's lab and made my way to a dingy little pub in one of the poorer districts. I doubt that I would even recognize the place if I were standing it in now though, it didn't seem familiar. I was going there to meet my father. I was looking forward to seeing him. You woke me up before he walked through the door."

Saya felt a pause in the kisses on her collarbone. "I'm sorry."

She sighed once more. "It's alright." Those words were harder to say than she thought, but then again her thoughts became rather cloudy when Juushiro kissed her like that.

* * *

Wow... I want to say thank you thank you thank you! I've received a lot of new readers, favs, and alerts here recently. It made me so happy so I want to thank you a million times! XD

Of course a special thank you to my readers who posted a comment or review to my story. I hope that I managed to reply back to everyone that took the time to post a review. I have a nagging feeling that I left a couple of people out, and I do apologize for that. I promise to be better next time. Um, I have to admit, I'm a little nervous about replying to the anonymous readers, mainly b/c I'm fearful of letting strangers know my email. I'm sorry but hope you understand. A major thank you to you though.

I have to admit, the new reader traffic feature is my latest obsession. I didn't know how many people all over the world read my story. THANK YOU SO MUCH! (I had to yell b/c you're really far away) ahem Please excuse my dorkiness. And please take the time to review.


	31. Chapter 31: Reunion

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or anything that has to do with the Bleach franchise.

* * *

Looking at Rukia still caught Saya off guard and she frequently found herself wanting to slip and call the girl "Hisana." The young girl that Byakuya had adopted as his sister could have been twins with his late wife. Although Byakuya frequently denied any relation between the two women, Saya couldn't help but wonder. The physical similarity was striking. Of course, that's where the similarity ended. Rukia had a strong personality and didn't have any qualms about speaking her mind. Even though she was petitie, she certainly didn't seem weak like Hisana had.

The young Kuchiki girl had just brought in some tea for Juushiro, Kaien, and Saya and then left again, blushing slightly when Kaien had thanked her for her trouble.

It had been six years since Hisana had died and five years since Rukia was adopted as Byakuya's sister. She had spent almost that same amount of time in the thirteenth squad. Saya had a sneaking suspicion that Byakuya had arranged it so that Rukia would be under the care of Ukitake, his sempai.

Although Rukia wasn't the most talented soul reaper, she surely would have been seated by now. Her skills had grown and she was able to command her shikai with ease. Saya had a knew that Byakuya was using his noble status to keep her unseated and therefore out of harm's way. Even though he didn't seem like it to most of the outside world, Saya could tell he was acting like a protective older brother. At least that was something; he didn't seem much like a brother in any other way as far as Saya was concerned. It made her thankful she had Shunsui as he aniki.

"Kaien, do you mind running this to the fifth divison?" Ukitake said as he took a sip of tea while simultaneously holding out a stack of papers toward his lieutenant.

"It's alright, I'll take them for you," Saya said as she stood up and grabbed the stack from Juushiro. "I've lingered here too long and also have things that need to be delivered to Aizen-taicho." She gave a quick bow as she exited, noticing the sweet smile that she received from Juushiro, and then made her way to the fifth division.

Saya couldn't help but wonder if a certain subordinate was going to be with Aizen. Ever since he had rescued a group of students during on of their dummy hollow missions in the real world, one student, now subordinate, had become slightly obsessed with him. Although Saya found Hinamori Momo endearing at first, she had become a little annoyed with the girl. Saya too looked up to Aizen and now it seemed she never had the chance to meet with him alone anymore. Aizen was kind to the doting Hinamori, much like the way Juushiro always treated Kiyone and Sentarou with kindness and patience. Saya knew that she would have little patience with any of them had they been her subordinates.

As expected, Momo opened the door to the offices after Saya knocked.

"Konichiwa, Kyouraku-fukutaicho." Momo bowed

"Good day, Hinamori-san. Is your captain around?" Saya said, bowing back and giving the girl a forced smile.

"Hinamori-san, who's there?" The voice of Aizen called.

Saya stepped through the door and presented herself with a bow to Aizen.

"Kyouraku-san, it's good to see you. It seems like a long time, hasn't it? Please come in. Momo, do you mind running these papers to first division for me? Thank you." He said with a smile.

_Ah,_ Saya thought to herself. She knew this move as she had seen Juushiro do the exact same thing time and time again with Kiyone and Sentarou. He would send them off on mindless errands in order to achieve a little peace and or privacy for himself for a few minutes.

After Momo left Aizen spoke again, "What brings you here today, Saya-san?"

Saya smiled. "I wish it was something interesting sir, but unfortunately I just have some paperwork to deliver."

"How are things?" Aizen asked while relieving Saya of the stacks.

"Things are well, sir. Thank you for asking. I still enjoy being under Tosen-taicho; he's a great man. Although with Hisagi-kun's talent I might have to be giving up my position as fukutaicho."

Aizen chuckled a little, "I have a feeling you won't need to worry about that any time soon. Actually, I was thinking about stealing you from Kaname."

"Excuse me, sir?" Saya was shocked, this wasn't something she expected to hear.

"Well, I don't know if you've heard, but Gin will be taking a captain's position soon. He'll be the new captain of the third division and I'll need a good second. I was hoping to persuade you to come to my division." Aizen said with a smile.

Saya couldn't help but return the sweet smile of the captain in front of her. "I'm honored sir."

"But…"

"But I'd like some time to think about it. Although I greatly respect Aizen-taicho, I don't see myself easily leaving Tosen-taicho either. I have grown fond of my squad, my subordinates. I would feel like I was abandoning them."

"It seems you have already made your choice?" Aizen mused.

"No sir, it's just I have a lot to think about. But I feel very honored that you would ask this of me. Thank you very much." Saya bowed her head. "Have you told Tosen-taicho of this?"

"I haven't made it a secret."

Saya nodded again. "I should be going."

"Of course, thank you for taking my offer into consideration, Saya."

Saya smiled and bowed again, she had a lot to think about it.

* * *

"You seem quiet today, Imouto. What is on your mind?" Shunsui asked his sister.

Saya had gone to visit Shunsui after she was done with the day's duties, but it hadn't been much of a visit on her end. She hadn't added much to the conversation other than a few "uh-huh's" and "I see's" here and there. Although Shunsui liked to ramble uninterrupted from time to time, he was used to a much more stimulating dialogue with his sister.

"Aniki, is it common for a lieutenant to leave his or her captain to serve under another?"

"I've never heard of that. People may get promoted to fukutaicho from another squad. However, the act of a fukutaicho leaving one captain to serve in the same capacity under another captain is unheard of. I would question their loyalty if they're so easily won over by another."

Saya attempted to keep a poker-face while looking at her brother, but he was able to see even the slightest falter in her underlying muscles.

"Why do you ask, Imo-chan?" Although he had already heard the rumors that Aizen wanted Saya as his fukutaicho, Shunsui thought it best to play dumb.

"Aizen-taicho asked me if I would consider serving as his fukutaicho after Ichimaru-fukutaicho has been promoted to Captain of the third squad."

"And you're thinking about it?"

Saya nodded.

"I know that you've always looked up to Sosuke-kun." Shunsui commented as he took a slow sip of sake.

"I have. It's just that now I look up to my own captain and I have people who depend on me. Even though I originally wanted to be placed in the fifth squad when I graduated, now it seems wrong somehow. It's just that…"

"Stop," interrupted Shunsui. "It seems to me you have already made your decision. Sosuke-kun won't fault you for wanting to remain loyal to your division. It shows strength in your character."

Saya smiled, but realized if she truly was loyal, she would have returned to her original, phantom squad. They seemed a little harder to reach though and truth be told, Saya preferred where she was. "Thank you, brother."

Shunsui gave a little laugh and ruffled his sister's hair much like the first time they met and then pulled her in close. Saya tried to pull away but Shunsui's embrace became a little tighter, not letting her leave his side.

"It's been a long time since it's just been me and you. It always seems like Juushiro or Nanao-chan is with us. I forgot how nice it was when we would sit on the roof together and watch the sky, share stories, have our talks."

"Hai, Aniki. It is nice." Saya said as she leaned into her brother's side. He always felt so warm.

"This may sound odd, but I keep having these thoughts that you're going to disappear on me."

"Don't say that Aniki, I'm not going anywhere." Saya looked up into her brother's warm eyes and smiled. "Why would you say something like that?"

Shunsui bent down and kissed the top of his sister's head. "I know I'm just being silly. But whenever I'm near you anymore, my feelings tell me to cherish the moments. I often take you for granted. I don't make the time for you like I used to."

"It's the same with me. As I've grown closer to Juushiro it feels like I've ignored you. I'm sorry. I watch Rukia and Byakuya and see how unlike you and me they are. I feel bad that she'll never know the love of a brother the way that I do."

Saya felt as Shunsui wrapped his free arm around her and hugged her tightly into his chest. Part of him didn't want to let Saya go, afraid those odd feelings would turn out to be true. However, the more lucid side of Shunsui took over and made the rational argument that he was just acting like a protective older brother that had been missing his little sister.

* * *

"You're home late." Juushiro said as he closed the book he was reading and set it aside.

"Forgive me, I was enoying time with my brother." Saya answered as she slid the door closed behind her.

"And how is Shunsui?"

"The same as always. I've missed him. I haven't been spending much time with him lately." Saya walked over to the their small sofa and curled into Juushiro, resting her head on his shoulder. Two strong arms wrapped themselves around Saya and pulled her in closer and Juushiro rested his cheek on top of Saya's head.

"What did you two talk about?"

Saya hesitated for a moment but decided to answer truthfully. Knowing her brother, she was sure that Shunsui would have told Juushiro his thoughts already anyway. "He told me that he felt like I was going to disappear on him. I don't really know what he meant and I don't plan on disappearing on anyone. Why would I when I am so happy here?"

Juushiro kissed the top of Saya's head. "I feel that too," he whispered. "I can't explain it. Like one night you're not going to come home to me. I won't know what happened, just that you're not here anymore. It's a horrible feeling."

Saya stiffened. If what Shunsui said had bothered her, hearing Juushiro say the same thing truly hurt. It was a heartbreaking feeling, thinking that she wouldn't be with the one she loved so much. But mostly, why did the two most important people in her life feel as if she was just going to leave them? Did they really think of her as that type of person who would leave and not say goodbye?

"Juushiro, I'm right here and I don't intend on going anywhere. Even if you hated me, I wouldn't leave."

Juushiro pulled Saya around so that she was on his lap facing him and pressed his forehead into the crook of her neck and shoulders. "It's an odd feeling."

She wrapped her arms around Juushiro's neck. "Then cast it aside; I'm not leaving." But insecurities started to creep into Saya and began to gnaw away at her. She didn't understand why they felt like that, but it made her nervous and unsure of what to expect for her future. But luckily Juushiro interrupted her thoughts before her imagination could get too carried away.

"I have something for you." He brought out a tiny velvet sack that he had hidden in the sleeves of his kimono. "I've realized in all the years we've been together, I haven't given you many things as far as gifts go. A few things here and there but nothing really special and so I felt the need to give you something. Your eldest brother has given you that charm; Shunsui gave you the ribbon that you wear almost everyday; so now here is something from me. I'm sorry it took so long."

Saya smiled widely as tears threatened to spill over her eyes. It was true that Juushiro had never really bought her anything, but she didn't need material objects from him. Besides, Juushiro didn't have the money that Saya's brothers had. He allowed her to share his home with him and that was more than Saya felt she could ask for. But now that she knew something special was wrapped in that tiny little sack, Saya felt excited that she had something she could show off for her many years with Juushiro.

Pulling on the drawstrings that held the small bag together, Saya opened the sack and poured the contents into her hand. There, laying in her palm, was a beautiful bracelet with four coral bead charms decorating the delicate chain. "Juushiro, I love it." Saya whispered as happy tears slid down her face.

Juushiro took the bracelet and clasped it onto Saya's left wrist. "I'm glad you liked it. The coral beads are a gift from Sogyo no Kotowari and the chain is from myself. I thought they went better together."

Saya nodded and looked at her lover through teary eyes. "Thank you, thank you both. I will never take it off."

Juushiro engaged Saya in a kiss and they stayed in a locked position for the remainder of the night.

* * *

"_Saya-sama, how long do you intend to stare at your bracelet?"_ Hanryo asked his mistress with an annoyed tone of voice. She had been ignoring him all day, off in another world, humming to herself and looking at her bracelet every five seconds.

_"As long as I want. It's my gift from Juushiro and I think it's very pretty."_ Saya said back, a sing-song sort of voice.

_"It is very pretty Saya-sama, but honestly, shouldn't you be paying attention to other things too?"_

_"Why? It's my day off and I'm enjoying it under a tree by the lake while staring at my gift. Is it so wrong?"_

Saya could see Hanryo start to sulk in the corners of her mind.

_"Would you like it if I came in for a visit, Kamikaze?"_ Saya asked.

A smile spread over his lips and a twinkle passed through his amethyst colored eyes. _"I always enjoy it when Saya-sama comes to spend time with me."_

A chuckle escaped Saya. "_Very well then._" She shut her eyes and soon found herself sitting under her favorite jacaranda tree. Looking up, she saw Hanryo sitting on a low branch swinging his legs and smiling down at her.

* * *

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Souta said as he bowed low to the old man in front of him.

"Hai, Souta-kun. I wanted to speak with you, please sit." The man with the sky blue eyes pointed to a seat across from him and waited for Souta to place himself on it before continuing. "I must say I am very frustrated with you."

This statement took Souta a little by surprise. "Have I not performed well in my duties, sir?" He wasn't sure what he had done to displease his master.

"Several years ago you told me that you believed my granddaughter, Saya, was still alive. I had long ago grieved and then moved on from her death. At least I thought I had moved on, those few words of yours stayed with me and now I am consumed with the thought that Saya may truly be alive. I cannot trust anyone else with this as I would be thought a crazy old fool. But since you are the one who said it, I entrust this mission to you. Go to Sereitei and establish if my granddaughter is truly alive or dead. You must be quick and I'll only give you until the end of the day. It should be easy for you, you know her spiritual pressure better than anyone else."

Souta looked into the face of the older gentlemen. Wrinkles lined his eyes, mouth, and forehead, and his hair was white with age. His voice was so young sounding compared with his physical looks. A rush of excitement passed through Souta. For years he had been kept out of the Sereitei by the very person who was now ordering him to go. But what caught Souta off was the look in the old man's eyes. They were blank, expressionless and that didn't set well with Souta.

"If she is alive, sir?" He asked warily.

"Then you must find out why she has not returned to this realm. There must be a reason; I would hate to think that my granddaughter has betrayed me. Knowing what she knows, being who she is, it is a great crime for her to have not returned home. We must find out the reasons, that is, if she truly is alive within the Sereitei. Be sure to bring her back so that I may question her myself."

Souta swallowed hard. "And if she wishes to remain where she is?"

The old man's eyes turned cold and harsh. "That isn't a choice for her. If she is alive then she must return here. Any other action will be considered high treason. As of now, I am giving her the benefit of the doubt, but if she refuses to return, then she will be dealt with as a criminal and punished as a traitor."

Souta bowed and left the room. For the first time since Saya died, he truly wished she were dead. If she was found to be a traitor, she was a good as dead anyway. But there was still that small trace of hope in Souta. _Saya-sama, I know you are alive, please be cooperative and return. Surely you know the consequences better than anyone else? For it was you who delivered death to those who betrayed the king. Please be reasonable._

* * *

Kamikaze's head lay on Saya's lap. He had his eyes closed and was enjoying the fact that Saya was scratching his head and playing with his hair.

"You have such nice hair, Hanryo." Saya said absentmindedly as she started to braid a small section of it.

"It won't look so nice if you put little braids in it. Please stop that, Saya-sama."

"But it is my wish." Saya said teasingly. "You wouldn't want to upset me, right? I shall be hurt if I can't braid your hair."

Kamikaze gave a defeated sigh and allowed Saya to continue as she pleased. "The things I do for the pleasure of my mistress." He mumbled.

Saya smiled but didn't stop her work as she sat and enjoyed the playful breeze that cooled her face and the made the flowers and tree branches sway to and fro in a rhythmic dance. The sound the wind made while passing through the branches calmed her spirit and she started to wonder how it was she ever left her inner world when she always found so much peace within.

But her peace was short lived as she felt the fiery swirl of a not-so-unfamiliar reitsu surrounding her. Hanryo's eyes shot open as he sat up. "Return to your world, Saya-sama. I think you have a visitor." His voice sounded sad and eager at the same time.

"Who does this reitsu belong to? It feels familiar yet I can't place it." Saya asked.

"Please, Saya-sama, return to your world."

Saya returned to her conscious self but still hadn't opened her eyes, instead she concentrated on the spiritual pressure that had sought her out. The fiery reitsu pushed against her, as if unsure of what it felt. It didn't seem to want to harm her in anyway, more like it was testing the waters, feeling her out. But panic soon shot through her and she raised her own reitsu, pushing the sensation away from her while attempting to figure out the direction it had come from.

On the other side of the lake stood a figure clad in black from head to toe. Their eyes were covered with a screen and the only color on their dark uniform was a green obi.

Saya's eyes widened, she was all too familiar with the uniform the person wore. She had seen it in her dreams countless times, on others and on herself. _They've come for me._ She thought to herself, her thoughts rushing by; panicked about what her eyes saw before her. Not knowing what to do, Saya stood up but didn't move from her spot as she watched the black clad figure.

_Why does this feel so familiar? Who is this person?_

"Saya! What's going on? Are you alright?" Saya turned to see Kaien and Juushiro running down the hill towards the lake. It was obvious they had felt the strange spiritual pressure as well and had come to check it out. It was Kaien who had yelled for her. She watched as the figure turned to look at the approaching shinigami. Saya was at the far side of the lake and the stranger stood nearest to the hill that Juushiro and Kaien were running down.

_What will he do to them? Will he attack them even if I'm the one he's after? It's a good possibility; it seems like something I would have done._ Saya shivered at her own thoughts. Luckily, it seemed the stranger was uninterested in the others and he turned his focus back on Saya.

She sighed and closed her eyes, thankful that he wasn't attacking the people she cared about, but her moment was stopped short when she heard Juushiro call for her from across the lake. His voice was panicked and harsh as he yelled.

"Saya!"

She barely had enough time to open her eyes and draw her sword to block the blade that came towards her head.

"Are you truly Saya? You look like her, you even somewhat feel like her, but you are far too careless. Who are you?"

The masculine voice was demanding and harsh, Saya cringed at the bite this man had in his tone while addressing her. He swung his sword again and Saya was knocked several feet back by the force of his sword crashing into hers. It was all Saya could do to defend herself, the man she fought was fast and strong. Her every move was countered and retaliated against. In previous situations like this, Saya's instincts would take over and she would managed to fight with speed and agility she didn't realize she possessed. But even though her body adjusted to his attacks, this person's skill seemed to be far above her own. Not only that, but he fought the same manner that Saya did. For the first time in years Saya felt frightened, like she wouldn't survive.

"Please, what is it you want from me?" Saya asked, not covering the panic in her voice.

"How could I honestly believe that you were Saya? You're far to slow and weak to be her." The man sounded so angry, like he had been betrayed, fooled into believing something that wasn't true. His sword connected with the side of her arm, and Saya felt the warm trickle of blood make its way down her arm and soak into the fabric of her kimono.

Saya watched as he twisted his wrist to bring his sword down on her once again. _I won't be able to block it._ It was then she saw a white garment flutter in front of her and a clash of metal swords come together. The black figure jumped back several yards and readied himself again.

"You even need another to save you? How pathetic! You can't be the Saya I know!" He screamed.

"What do you want with Saya?" Juushiro demanded.

"Don't call her that. That weak woman behind you is not Saya. Saya-sama would not need some old man to protect her. I will destroy that woman! I will kill that woman who looks so much like her, but disgraces her name!"

"Saya, run." Juushiro shouted as he readied himself to fight against the stranger.

Saya hesitated for only a moment before making her way to the other side of the lake. Kaien had joined Juushiro at his side and, if needed, was going to help him defeat the black clad figure.

_They are stronger than me._ Saya thought to herself. She didn't turn to look when she heard swords clashing and the screetching sounds of metal on metal. She knew Kaien would only step in if Juushiro wasn't able to fight. _"He is fighting for his pride now, for me."_ Saya said to kamikaze.

She saw Shunsui coming over the hill and felt a sense of relief knowing her brother would be there to help save her as well. But a look of shock crossed his face and Saya simultaneously felt the fiery reitsu bear down on her again. She was knocked to the ground and rolled over on her back to see the figure standing over her, holding his sword.

"Don't come another step closer," he addressed the three other shinigami but didn't take his focus off of Saya. "I can kill her before you even touch me and you know it."

The harsh tone of his voice chilled Saya to the bone.

"Please," she whispered. "I don't know what you want with me."

"Are you truly Saya?"

"I don't know if I'm the Saya that you seek, but I am Saya." She answered. Her body stiffened as she felt the tip of his blade against the skin of her chest as he slightly opened her top to reveal the chain around her neck. Three figures in her peripheral vision stiffened as well and grasped onto their swords tighter, they didn't want to move in case he was telling the truth and really would kill her, but they wanted to be ready if he tried anything first.

The male figure standing above Saya lowered himself to sit on her hips with his knees pinned against her sides to keep her from squirming. Grabbing the chain, he bent down and examined it before allowing it to drop back onto her skin.

"You truly are Saya-sama. I gave you that charm a long time ago and you promised to never take it off." He whispered.

With a little hesitation, Saya slowly lifted her arms and brought her hands to the man's face. She started to pull at his mask but stopped when he grabbed her wrists.

"Imouto?" Shunsui asked quietly.

"Don't move. Nobody move, please." Saya answered back softly. Six eyes watched intently but Saya's eyes were glued to the person on top of her.

The man finally let go of Saya's wrists and she took it as a sign that he wasn't going to stop her. She pulled the mask off to reveal a familiar face. But it wasn't the face of a small boy who visited her in her dreams; it was the face of a man with soft brown eyes. Saya looked up into those eyes that she had seen so many times in her memories.

"Souta-kun?" She asked as she traced his features with her fingertips. The young man didn't move and only looked at her as she stared back up at him. It was the Souta from her dreams, the young boy whom she cared for so much. "Souta-kun, I thought that I had chased the sadness from your eyes a long time ago."

"It came back when you left." He whispered.

Then Saya stiffened once more as Souta lay his head into her shoulder. She wasn't sure what to expect at first; Juushiro, Kaien, and Shunsui still stood around them, waiting for him to attack her like had at first. But they all were caught off guard when Souta started crying.

"Why didn't you come back, Saya-sama? I have mourned you these fifty-five years and you were here all along? How could you do this to me? What about the promise we made?"

Tears began to fall from Saya's eyes as well, her body relaxed as her arms wrapped themselves around Souta's shoulders.

"Forgive me." She whispered.

* * *

First of all, thank you to everyone who added this story to their alerts and favorites. You don't know how much it makes my day when I open up my email to see an alert! So thank you sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much! Another big thank you to everyone who took the time to review last chapter. I always enjoy feedback and it makes me warm and gushy inside. Hehe.

I hope you enjoyed that chapter and hope it makes up for the wait... of course there's more to come in the next.

Please take the time to review. Thanks so much!


	32. Chapter 32: Choices

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or anything that has to do with the Bleach franchise.

* * *

Becoming all too aware of the fact that Juushiro, Shunsui, and Kaien were still watching them, Saya pushed Souta off of her and stood up. Souta, still on his knees wiped his tears and stood up as well. A million thoughts sped through Saya's mind but she didn't know what to do or how to react. A very important part of her past had just caught up with her, not to mention, it was a part that had caused tension within her and Juushiro's relationship.

She knew that Souta had been a big part of her life, but she wasn't able to remember everything that had happened between them. All she remembered was the small child she had taken in after saving him from a hollow; she knew nothing of the man that stood before her. From deep within her, she felt the care and love that she held for him and the familiar feeling of their close and comfortable relationship. But currently she didn't feel comfortable, she felt the hard tension that was now between them and the uneasiness of this situation altogether. She didn't know how this reunion would continue to play out between them.

But that wasn't the biggest concern that she felt. She wasn't sure what orders Souta had come with. By the way he attacked her, she was sure that he was ordered to kill her. Assuming things hadn't changed since the time she spent in the guard, he would also be ordered to kill those closest to her and surely Juushiro and Shunsui would be at the top of his list. It seemed Souta must have been thinking along the same lines as she was.

"Who are these men?" He asked.

Saya didn't take her eyes off of Souta, afraid that even the slightest change in expression would give away her feelings. She wasn't as strong as Juushiro, Shunsui, or even Kaien, but she needed to protect them.

"Isn't it obvious? The two wearing the haori's are captains in the protection squads and the one with the armband is a lieutenant." Saya said smoothly. She could see the odd glances the three men shared with each other from the corners of her eyes, but she refused to look at anyone other than Souta.

Souta's eyes narrowed. "I can see that. Who are they to _you_?"

Saya hesitated. "They are my superiors."

"That one seemed to come to your rescue awfully quickly, and from the band on your arm and the number on his back you're not even in his squad." Souta pointed towards the white haired Juushiro who was currently wearing a rough scowl on his face. Although everyone had dropped their swords to their sides, no one relaxed. "Unless there is more harmony between the protection squads than I previously thought, isn't it unusual for members of one squad to help out the member of another?"

"He acted as a captain should. He protected those beneath him." Saya said, her tone icy.

Juushiro and Shunsui stared at Saya and wondered why she was being so vague in her answers. But they didn't move, only watched.

Souta glared back at Saya. "That one called you his Imouto." Now pointing to Shunsui. "They all address you with familiarity. Who are they to you?" He demanded again.

Saya's eyes turned cold and her mouth set into a harsh line. "It's none of your concern, they are as familiar with me as they are with anyone."

"Don't think your vague answers will fool me. I have known you for over 200 years. You think I can't tell when you don't give me the whole truth?" Souta spat out.

"Why are you even here, Souta? Why are you chasing the dead? You said yourself that you mourned my death. Return to where you belong and continue to think of me as dead and I will think of you the same."

These words came out cold and harsh and Souta was knocked out of his own angered state as the shock and pain caused by her statement set in. The others were also surprised by what Saya had said, and could clearly see the hurt etched on Souta's face. Juushiro even felt sympathy for the young man in front of him. If Saya had said something like that to him… well, he didn't want to think of how terrible he would feel.

Usually knowing how to best placate tense situations, Shunsui decided to break the tense silence that followed after Saya's harsh words. "Imouto, I think it best if we take the time to sit down and talk through this. Many years have passed since you've been here, and Souta-kun doesn't seem to know what has happened. You too may learn more of your past if we only calm down and behave rationally."

Souta gazed at Shunsui with some confusion. "What do you mean by learning more of her past?"

"You see?" Shunsui said while addressing Saya. "He is ignorant to your situation as much as you are to his. Souta-kun, Saya has lost many of her memories. But this is not the place to discuss such things, let us return to my manor. Some sake and conversaton is sure to calm down our nervous spirits."

* * *

Saya, Souta, Juushiro, and Shunsui all sat around a small table in the gardens of Shunsui's manor. Saucers of untouched sake sat before them, with the exception of Shunsui who had enjoyed a few sips. Saya allowed Shunsui to do most of the talking, while Juushiro held her hand and would whisper reassuringly in her ear whenever he felt her get too tense.

"Everything is fine, Saya. He's just upset, we all are."

After Shunsui finished telling Souta, for the umpteenth time, about the night that Saya was found by their father, Souta turned to Saya.

"So it's true, you really have forgotten so much?"

"Of course it's true, why would I lie about something like that?" Saya snapped.

"What about Kamikaze?"

"It took twenty years before I could hear him."

Souta looked at Saya in disbelief. "Twenty years? I thought you felt weaker, Saya-sama, but I didn't realize how much."

Saya scoffed.

"You can't even summon your bankai, can you?"

Saya gave Souta a blank look. _"Kamikaze, could I summon my bankai at one point?"_

_"Of course, Saya-sama." _He said it as though it shouldn't be a surprise.

_"Why didn't you tell me?!"_

_"It never came up."_

_"You need to stop keeping things from me! Who's the master here?"_

_"I only ever act in your best interest, Saya-sama."_

Saya sighed. "No, I can't summon bankai."

Souta glared at Juushiro who had given Saya a slight squeeze around her shoulders.

"I know how you became this man's sister and such, but you still haven't fully told me your relationship with him." Souta said tersely, although from watching their interactions, Souta had figured out what type of connection they shared.

Saya looked at Juushiro and then to Souta, knowing that the answer would hurt him. "He's my partner, my lover." It sounded odd, having to explain her relationship with Juushiro, especially to Souta.

Souta's face went blank as he looked Juushiro up and down. Juushiro just stared back.

"We've been the ones explaining and answering all of your questions, why don't you start now?" Saya said, a little harsher than she meant.

"I was ordered to come here from the king's realm to find out if you were truly alive or not. Several years back, I was here delivering a message to Yamamoto-Soutaicho and thought that I had felt your spiritual pressure. It happened twice, and it was brief so I couldn't be sure. Then it was also much weaker than I'm used to…"

"I think we've established that you think me weak, please move on." Saya said flatly, eyes cold with frustration.

"Um… right." Souta shivered slightly. Even if her spiritual pressure had changed, her scary glares hadn't. "Well, I had mentioned to your grandfather that I thought you might still be alive. At first he was angry with me and he kept me from any missions that would involve me entering the Sereitei. But my words must have had an impact because he told me to come and find you if you were indeed alive."

Saya pictured the old man from her dreams, he had the same blue eyes that she did. But also knew that his orders were to be followed precisely. Much like Saya, he didn't care for subordinates who didn't do as they were told. "What were his exact orders?"

"To find you and return you to him."

Shunsui and Juushiro's attention snapped to Saya's face, trying to assess her reaction. It was all she could do to keep her face expressionless knowing that these two men could read her better than anyone. But it wasn't surprising that those were Souta's orders, but she didn't like hearing it either. "And if I refuse?" Saya asked, already knowing the answer.

Souta looked at her with sad eyes. He wanted so badly for Saya to return with him so that they could be how they once were, always at each other's side. One making the other laugh if they were having a bad day, sitting up late at night and gazing at the stars from their favorite garden, all of these things Souta wished for and had always hoped that Saya would want the same. Right now, his ideal reunion wasn't coming true and he mostly blamed Juushiro. "I am to deal with you as a traitor." He answered quietly.

Saya's brow furrowed slightly knowing what that meant. She would be killed and those who might avenge her would have to die as well. It might be tricky, two of those people would be well-respected captains of the protection squads, but then she knew their deaths would be made to look like accidents. Saya let go of Juushiro's hand, stood up and walked away from the three men sitting there. She needed to think away from under the concerned eyes of her brother and lover, so Saya walked further into the gardens.

"Saya-sama?" Souta called, he made to go after her but was stopped by Shunsui.

"Leave her be for a moment." When Souta sat back down Shunsui addressed him once again. "What do you mean by dealing with Saya as a traitor? Has she betrayed the king?"

"Those of us who are from the king's realm are there for our entire lives, directly serving him, keeping him protected from harm. It's an honor and we don't take it lightly. In fact, we aren't to ever reveal our identity to anyone other than those who work directly under his majesty as well. Saya might have mentioned the name 'Ichijin' to you? That was what she went by. I usually go by the name of 'Okibi,' (blazing fire). I will receive some sort of reprimand for allowing my face to be revealed to you. But anyone who leaves His realm is considered a traitor and would be punished."

"And what punishment would she receive?" It was Juushiro who asked.

Souta looked at him blankly but he could clearly see the worry in Juushiro's eyes. "I'm sorry, that is something I'm not allowed to tell you. Even if she does return, she won't go unpunished just because she lost her memories, although that fact may reduce her sentence. But she had clear memories of some of her missions. Knowing that she was in the king's guard and choosing not to return will work against her."

Juushiro gave Souta a quick nod and looked off in the direction that Saya had walked. A tense silence settled around the three men as they waited.

* * *

Saya sat on a cement bench under a tall tree and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she found herself under her favorite jacaranda tree, being embraced by Kamikaze from behind. She leaned back into him.

"Hanryo, I'm frightened." She said softly, wishing that she really could escape into her inner world and away from the troubles that the outside held.

"I know you don't remember everything, Saya-sama, but you know what will happen if you refuse."

"Why did this have to happen?"

"Did you think you could escape you past forever?" He asked, smoothing her hair.

"You say that as if I was trying to escape. I wasn't trying to run away from my life when I was attacked; it's by accident that I'm here to begin with. But now I am happy here and I don't wish to leave. I wish to stay with Juushiro and Shunsui." Tears fell from Saya's eyes. "Maybe Souta will pretend he didn't find me?"

"Saya-sama…"

"You must think me a spoilt child. One who cries or throws a fit when things don't work out the way she wishes." Saya attempted to laugh at herself, but a sob came out in its place.

"I think you a strong woman with a difficult choice that no one wishes to make. Whatever you decide, you know I will be beside you, supporting you the best way I know how."

"Thank you, my friend."

Saya's eyes opened, the tears from her inner world escaping from her eyes in the physical world as well. She took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself, although it was in vain, only more anxiety seemed to come over her with each passing breath.

"Souta-kun, please come to me." She called out.

* * *

Juushiro watched as the young man slowly made his way towards Saya's voice and had to restrain himself from knocking the poor kid out and then running to Saya himself.

"Easy, old friend." Shunsui said, feeling Juushiro's anger and resentment towards Souta.

Juushiro sighed and leaned against the back of his seat. Attempting to relax, Juushiro focused on his breathing. He was surprised that with all the stress of the day, his body hadn't turned on him. He figured the adrenaline was keeping his broken lungs in check for the time being, holding out as long as he could before the situation caused him to lose control and his body acted against him.

But Juushiro found it hard to meditate, an act that was second nature to him by now. He listened but heard nothing from where he knew Saya and Souta were standing. What were they doing? Before his imagination could run wild on him, Juushiro stood up and followed the path that Saya had taken. Shunsui did nothing to stop his friend as he walked by, only took another sip of sake.

"So please leave now." Was the only thing that Juushiro heard Saya say as he found them standing under a tall tree. Souta looked back at Juushiro and then to Saya again before bowing.

"As you wish, Saya-sama." He said before flashing out of the gardens.

"Saya?" Juushiro asked. He watched as Saya gave him a sad smile and then walked towards him to embrace him.

"I don't think you'll be seeing him again." She whispered.

"Saya, what was said?" Juushiro asked, holding her close.

"Please, Juushiro," she whispered into his chest. "I'm tired from today. I don't want to talk about it any more right now. I want to go home, please take me home."

A feeling of impending dread swept over Juushiro's emotions. He nodded before leading her back to Shunsui to whom they said goodbye and then walked back to their own quaint home on the water.

"Saya…" Juushiro started after they entered their home.

"No, please. I don't think that I can handle it right now. Later, we'll talk about it later. Right now I don't want to think of any of it. I'm sorry, forgive me. I only want to think of you and me right now. I want to only feel you and me right now."

Juushiro took Saya into his arms and started to kiss her gently.

"Forgive me." She whispered as tears ran down her face.

Juushiro and Saya made love until their bodies were sore. Then they held onto each other as they drifted into sleep, Juushiro clutching his lover a little tighter than usual.

* * *

Like so many times before, Saya watched Juushiro as he slept, his chest rising and falling in a slow pattern. He looked so peaceful and Saya couldn't help but smile to herself. She bent over him to give him a small kiss on the lips, lingering a little longer than she might have otherwise. Quietly making her way through the small home, Saya tip toed outside and slid the door shut behind her before flashing to her brother's division offices and then to his manor. As expected, she found him on the roof, staring up at the stars.

"Aniki, you looked so bothered." Saya said, sounding more cheerful than she felt.

Shunsui smiled at his sister. "That was quite a day."

"Hai, it certainly was."

The siblings sat there, looking at the stars and moon, saying nothing. Neither really found the words, but Saya knew she had something important to tell Shunsui.

"Aniki?"

"Hmm?"

"Have I ever told you how truly lucky I feel to have a brother as kind and loving as you? I don't think that I could have asked for a better aniki. You have protected me and loved me more than I deserve. I don't know if I could ever truly express how much I love you." Tears slid down her face.

"Saya-chan, what has gotten into you?"

"Nothing Aniki. Forgive me; I'm being foolish, ne? I just wanted to tell you is all." She said while wiping away the tears. "There's a gift for you. It's waiting on your desk in your office. Open it tomorrow when you get to work." Saya kissed Shunsui on his rough cheek and turned to leave.

"Where are you going, Imo-chan?"

Saya turned back and gave Shunsui a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Where else? I am going home. It's late." She turned again and flashed away.

* * *

In a clearing at the very edge of one of the poorest districts of Rukongai, Souta sat under a tree and stared up at the moon. He felt heavy as his time limit to complete his mission was coming to an end.

_There's only a few minutes left until midnight, until the end of the day._ He sighed and closed his eyes. Seeing Saya hadn't been at all what he expected. He was filled with anger he didn't know existed. At first he felt happy to see her face, then furious that she wasn't dead. He had been mourning her death for so long, and she was alive and seemingly unconcerned for those she left behind. That's what he thought at the time. But Saya didn't feel the same, she felt weak and vulnerable. Not that the level she was at wasn't strong, but it wasn't what he remembered. It was then that he became angry at the girl who looked so much like his Saya. He had attacked without really thinking.

He felt sorry for his actions, especially now that he knew the whole story. Saya had almost been killed over fifty-five years ago. She had started a life here and he could tell she was happy. She allowed herself to care for others. That alone was odd, Saya only cared for five people that he could remember. Herself, himself, her grandfather and her parents. Souta had never met Saya's mother, she had died before he went to live in the king's realm and Saya made sure that no one ever knew who her father was. All Souta knew was that he was a shinigami that Saya's mother had fallen in love with. Relationships between those of the king's realm and those that dwelt outside of it was strictly forbidden.

Souta rubbed his forehead. _Perhaps I should have just left her alone. I'm afraid that the only feelings Saya may have towards me now are those of hatred. No, I did not want us reunited in this way._ But Souta was knocked from his thoughts as he heard footsteps approach him. He opened his eyes to see a beautiful blonde woman coming towards him, her sky blue eyes heavy with sadness.

"Are you ready to return, Saya-sama?" He asked hesitantly.

"Hai."

"You're doing the right thing, you know. You don't really belong here."

Saya nodded, her face expressionless. All she hoped is that Juushiro and Shunsui would forgive her. She hesitated, looking back towards the Sereitei.

"Saya-sama, it's time."

"Yes." Saya brought Kamikaze half way out of his sheath and sliced her palm on the blade, using her blood as the key to reveal and open the hidden door to the king's realm.

Souta walked through first but stopped and turned around when he realized that Saya wasn't with him. When he turned to look at her, he saw that she was looking back towards the Sereitei once again. Deciding it was best to give her a moment, Souta waited until Saya turned back to him.

"Souta, I'm frightened."

He softened. Holding his hand out, Souta waited for Saya to take the steps to reach him. "Don't be frightened. I will be here, right beside you the whole time. It's a promise we made to each other a long time ago. I'm afraid you may have forgotten it, but I haven't."

Saya shook her head. "I dreamed about you so many times and the night we made the promise. I remember it well. But, can you forgive me for not trying to hold to it?"

Souta looked sweetly at Saya before walking back to her and taking her hand. He pulled her into a tight embrace. "We are here now, by each other's sides, and this is how we will stay. Our promise has not been broken." Souta kept a hold of Saya's hand and led her through to tall dark passage that would lead the to king's realm, happy that Saya was with him but sorry for what she had to give up.

"Saya-sama, our reunion wasn't what I hoped it would be. I wanted both of us to be happy when we saw each other and embrace like old friends."

"I'm sure it wasn't what either of us expected. It would have been nice to meet that way." She squeezed onto Souta's hand tighter. She found it odd, walking into her past that had turned into her very real future. Her future no longer involved Juushiro or Shunsui and it pained her. Even so, even with the tense and uncomfortable feelings of their reconnection, Saya was happy that at least Souta was going to be apart of her future.

Stepping into the forest within the king's realm brought back memories to Saya. They rushed through her mind and made her unsteady, she leaned against Souta for support.

* * *

"Are you alright?"

"Hai. We played a lot in this clearing, you and I. We would play tag and hide and seek. When we got older you and I would practice hand-to-hand combat here. I also remember my mother and I using this passage a lot to visit my father." Saya chuckled a little. "We always knew how to get around the guards."

Souta smiled. "You are remembering. That's good."

Saya nodded. "Souta-kun, now that we're here, where are you going to take me? I have a feeling I'm not going to be allowed to waltz right back in."

"I have to take you to His Majesty the King. It would be quicker if we flashed."

"What? Why do I have to see him?" Although Saya had never seen the king in her memories, it was under his orders that she carried out horrendous acts. She didn't want to see him, thinking him a cruel man. What would he do to her? Her punishment was sure to be harsh.

"Don't you want to see him? Besides, who else would I take you to?" Souta was confused by Saya's odd question. "Let's go."

He didn't give her time to protest, and with Souta being so much stronger, Saya wasn't really able to get out of his grasp to run away. Not that it would have done much good.

"Don't worry, even if you forgot, I still remember the best ways to get to him. We won't encounter many guards."

Saya nodded and tried to swallow, but her mouth was so dry she found it hard to do. The beating of her heart felt so fast that she thought it might burst within her. Shallow, fast breaths came in and out of her lungs but she didn't seem to get enough air. At first, Saya was hardly aware of her surroundings and then everything seemed far to real when Souta knocked on the door to king's private study.

The two guardsmen eyed Saya with surprised looks on their faces as she and Souta passed through. The room was warm and cozy. Books lined the walls and a massive fire roared in the over-size fireplace. Plush couches and chairs were abundant, while rich fabrics hung from the walls and decorated the floors. A glass encasement held the royal scepter. A sunburst with the King's crest, a sixteen-pedaled chrysanthemum, made of black onyx stones in the middle. Saya noted that the onyx stones in the flower were the same of her sheath. She counted the sunburst's peaks, nine altogether, with curved valleys in between. On the far side of the room was a heavy, mahogany desk, but the man seated behind it couldn't be seen. He had his back turned to his visitors. Saya took a deep breath, hoping in vain that it would calm her nerves even the slightest.

"Your Majesty, I have found Saya-sama, very much alive, and have brought her to you, as you asked."

Saya bowed low as the old man turned to face them and then stood erect with his permission. His voice sounded so young given his appearance. It was then she really noticed his features, so familiar to her. Long white hair plaited in the back, thin long beard tied with silk in the front, and sky blue eyes that perfectly matched her own.

Saya's eyes widened and her breath caught in her throat. "Ojii-sama?" The memories flooded back to her, but it was too much. She wasn't expecting that the old man she loved in her dreams and the King she thought she hated to be one-in-the same. "Forgive me." She whispered as her eyes closed and her body buckled beneath her, mind blank as she hit the floor.

* * *

Thank you to everyone who took the time to read and review. As always, I appreciate it greatly. I must apologize if you were wanting a little more Souta/Saya time... but that is to come with the next chapter. So please be patient with me! (Author dodges blunt objects being thrown in her direction). I did try to update quickly this time around and will try to do the same for the next chapter!

Please take the time to review now, it would greatly be appreciated.


	33. Chapter 33: Sentenced

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or anything that has to do with the Bleach franchise.

* * *

Juushiro woke with a start and noticed the sun was barely peeking through his windows. He felt slightly panicked when he saw that Saya was not with him, but he felt another familiar presence in his home. Throwing on his robe, Ukitake walked out to the living room where he saw Shunsui laying across the couch, a note clasped in his hand.

"Shunsui, where's Saya?"

Shunsui gave his friend a sweet smile and held the note out to him. It was then that Juushiro noticed Saya's blue ribbon in Shunsui's hair. He took the note and immediately recognized Saya's neat scribe.

_Dear Aniki,_

_Please forgive me for being too much of a coward to say this in person. I couldn't stomach saying goodbye to you. I was afraid that you would convince me to stay when I can't stay here any longer. Please understand I'm doing this because it is the only choice I have._

_Please know that I will always consider you my brother. I have enclosed one of my most treasured possessions; the ribbon you gave me the day I became your sister. I don't know if we will ever meet again, but if you believe I still deserve this gift and think of me as your sister, then perhaps you will return it to me at that time._

_I must ask forgiveness for giving you the burden of passing on a message to my beloved Juushiro. The thought of not seeing him again broke my heart and my cowardliness didn't allow me to say anything to him. Please tell him that I intend to keep the promise I made to him in the cave. Please tell him that I will think of him everyday. Please tell him thank you for all the love he has given me. Please tell him that I love him and I'm sorry. Finally, tell him to forget me._

_Love Always,_

_Saya._

"Shunsui?"

"She didn't give me any more explanation than that. She came and visited me for only a few minutes last night, I thought that she was acting odd but didn't try to stop her. I'm sorry, old friend."

It started out slowly, Juushiro could feel the attack coming, but then it hit him hard and all at once. He fell to his knees as violent coughs racked his body. That was it, the final straw that broke through his ability to hold himself together. But he didn't think about the pain in his chest or the burning in his throat; he only thought of how Saya wasn't going to come home to him anymore. Suddenly, his small home felt far too large for just him.

Shunsui helped his friend off of the floor and back into his bed. Although it had been many years since Shunsui had nurse duty, he found the old routine familiar again as he gathered water, cold compresses, and changes of clothes for Juushiro. When Shunsui entered the bedroom again, he found Juushiro on his back, arm covering his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Juushiro."

"You have nothing to apologize for." He said weakly, afraid that using too much voice would start another attack. Juushiro wasn't angry at Shunsui for not stopping Saya; she pretty much did whatever she wanted anyway.

"She wouldn't have done what she did if she felt like she had any other choice."

Juushiro rolled on his side, back facing Shunsui. He wasn't feeling like making excuses for Saya at the moment. Maybe she didn't feel like she had another choice, but to leave so easily? To leave without even attempting saying goodbye? Then Juushiro thought about their last night together and how much yearning and need he felt within Saya's actions.

_That was her way of saying goodbye. She couldn't use words. What a fool I am._ Juushiro thought.

The two friends weren't able to say anything to comfort each other. One had lost his love, the other his sister. So Shunsui sat by Juushiro's side and Juushiro let him, both with a million thoughts running through their minds but neither with the words to express them.

* * *

"Naishinnou-sama (imperial princess), his Majesty the King has requested your presence."

A fourteen-year-old girl with blonde hair and blue eyes turned to the servant that had addressed her. Her garments were made of the finest silks and fabrics, but instead of the colorful assortment she usually donned, all of her inner kimonos and outer yukatas were of the deepest black. "Of course. Lead us to him." She said.

The servant bowed and led the young girl on the short walk from her quarters to the king's private study. "Your Majesty, I present Her Imperial Highness, Saya-hime." The servant man bowed low to his ruler.

"You are excused." The king said to the servant with a flip of his hand.

The girl bowed low wanting to speak to her grandfather but knowing it was out of turn, he had not yet spoken to her.

"Saya, the funeral will take place tomorrow morning. You know of the ceremonies and arrangements. I believe my advisor informed you?"

"Hai."

"Although it will be a year or so until you officially fill your mother's position, the ceremony promoting you will take place the day after the funeral."

"Hai."

The old man with the young man's voice gazed serenely at his granddaughter and beckoned her forward to him. "Saya, I know that it's tough for you to deal with all of this. You have lost your mother and must now assume her position. You have a lot to learn and must work hard to reach her level. It is a hard job, but I know you will make me proud."

"That is my wish, Ojii-sama." The little girl's sky blue eyes were filled with sadness at the loss of her mother, but her voice carried the strong desire to please her grandfather, to be of use to her king.

* * *

"Saya, what have you brought back? This is rather irresponsible of you." Her grandfather chastised. "How could you bring back a peasant child from Rukongai?"

"I saved him from the hollow and thought that he might be useful to you, sir."

"We have enough useful servants and guards, what is this child supposed to do?"

Saya looked at the boy quivering behind her and gave him a reassuring wink. "Your majesty, he has no family and no home, therefore no connections to any place or anyone. Souta-kun will be perfect because of that reason. Besides, the hollow that was chasing him was after him because of his spiritual pressure. Surely with the right training, he will become very talented. A perfect servant for the king, one who has no other obligations."

The old man eyed the boy before giving a defeated sigh. "You will assume responsibility for him, understood?"

"Yes, sir."

The old man shook his head. "The things I let you get away with. Dismissed."

Saya smiled before bounding out of the room with the boy in tow.

* * *

"Saya-sama, I wish to come with you."

"No Souta-kun. It is a sin to leave the king's realm without permission. I won't allow it."

"But I want to meet your father as well."

It seemed that Souta immediately regretted his words as he received an icy stare from Saya. "No one but me will know who my father is. Stay here."

* * *

"Ojii-sama, I have picked flowers for you. Do you like them?" A young girl, no more than seven years old, presented a handful of wildflowers to her grandfather.

"It seems she hasn't learned the difference between real flowers and weeds yet." A beautiful blonde woman said behind her.

Saya scowled at her mother.

"Whether they be the rarest of roses or the most common of weeds, I am happy that my little Saya wishes to give her grandfather a present." The wrinkles around his eyes became more prominent as the old man smiled.

* * *

"Do you not know how to follow orders?"

A man dressed in black knelt before Saya, trembling with fear, as her harsh tone seemed to cut right through him. Her eyes were colder than any tundra and her face set as if it had been carved from stone. Everytime the man looked up at her, he felt small and insignificant, as if it was through her good will that he was even allowed to breathe from moment to moment.

"Forgive me, Saya-sama."

"It's hard to forgive one as irresponsible as you."

"It wasn't my intention to…."

"It never is." Saya cut him off.

The man swallowed hard and tried to take steady breaths in a vain attempt to calm himself. The weight of Saya's spiritual pressure constricted around him, making everything seem as if it was moving in slow motion. The discomfort he felt was maddening.

"I have no care for subordinates who don't know how to follow orders." Saya said as she grabbed his zanpakuto that was lying next to him.

* * *

"Souta-kun, this is my favorite garden. I never allow anyone but me to sit here, but I will share it with you."

"Why is it so special, Saya-sama?"

"Come here and you'll see." She motioned for him to join her and when he got close enough, Saya grabbed him and pulled him down so that she could embrace him from behind. "Look there, Souta-kun."

Souta followed her gaze and found himself looking up at a brilliant night sky. The moon shone more brightly than any night in Rukongai and the stars seemed to go on forever. "Wow." He whispered.

"Beautiful, isn't it? This garden has the best view of the night sky. I like to sit out here for hours and look up at the stars."

Souta nodded, happy that he was allowed to share Saya's favorite pastime with her.

* * *

Saya's eyes fluttered open to see a large canopy hanging above her. The heavy fabrics, rich in color, draped around the four corners of her bed. The bed itself was overly large; Saya thought that another five people could easily fit and still sleep comfortably. Slowly sitting up, she looked at the room. Her room. So familiar to her it was like she had never been gone. The marble fireplace was on the far side of the room with bookshelves flanking its sides. Her wardrobe, which she knew was filled with the finest kimonos, and dressing area looked untouched since she had last entered the room. Her private bathroom looked over a small lake and the forest that flourished behind the palace. Finally her vanity, made of dark mahogany, sat in the corner, patiently waiting for her to make herself up for the day.

_"Saya-sama, are you alright?" _Kamikaze asked in a hesitant tone.

_"I was just thinking that Juushiro's home could easily fit into this room."_

_"That's not what Saya-sama was thinking."_

She sighed, not knowing why she tried to tell Hanryo anything but the truth. Though she had the slightest hope that he would just let it go. _"All those memories came flashing back to me. It's hard to take it all. I didn't expect any of this. Kamikaze, why didn't you tell me?"_

_"That's a good question. Saya-sama seemed so happy. Saya-sama had so many people that she cared about; I hated to steal you from it so soon. Plus, I was hoping that you would return to your full strength and learn the truth yourself, without relying on me. But perhaps it is to our advantage that you aren't yourself."_

_"What do you mean, Kamikaze?"_ Saya didn't see any silver linings in this dark cloud.

_"If you had returned with your full strength and abilities, then your story would have been highly unbelievable. This way, at least they can see you're not lying about losing your memories and strength."_

_"How damn weak am I?"_ Saya scoffed at the fact everyone was calling her weak when she felt she could hold her own.

_"You know what I mean, Saya-sama."_

Saya sighed and closed her eyes again. It wasn't that she wanted to go back to sleep, so many memories coming back to her at once didn't make for a peaceful slumber, it was more like she just didn't want to be awake. Concentrating on breathing, Saya tried to clear her mind of any thought whatsoever and find some peace, but three knocks at the door interrupted her failing attempt at meditation.

"Enter." She said.

Souta poked his head through first before entering the room; four handmaidens followed him.

"Saya-sama, these four ladies will help you get ready for the day. Once you are dressed appropriately, I am to lead you to His Majesty's summit room so that he and his advisors can interview you. I've filled them in on what I already know, but they have some questions for you."

"As to be expected." Saya answered, her tone cool. She still hadn't sat up from her position on the bed.

_Her formal tone has already come back._ Souta sighed to himself.

"Please tell the ladies in waiting to wait outside for a moment, I'd… we'd like to speak with you privately, Souta-kun."

The young maids promptly left the room and closed the door behind them while Souta simply stared at Saya, waiting for her to say something. When she didn't move or show any intention of speaking he walked to her bedside.

"Saya-sama?"

"Did you always call me 'Saya-sama' or did you ever just simply say my name?" She whispered.

Souta cocked his head slightly. "That isn't what you wanted to speak with me about."

"No, but answer me."

"There were only a few times when I didn't use the honorific for you."

Saya nodded once, her eyes gazing at the canopy above her. "When were those times?"

Souta didn't answer; he simply looked at her and then sat down at the edge of the bed with his back facing towards Saya.

"Souta," Saya whispered. If it hadn't been dead silent in the room, Souta would not have heard her barely audible voice. "I'm frightened."

Souta turned to look at her. He noticed that her eyes were filled with sadness and doubt, afraid of what was going to happen. Not being able to help it, Souta grabbed Saya's hand and was happy that she didn't pull away.

"Saya-sama, whatever happens, I will stay by your side."

Saya nodded. "They are going to decide a punishment for me, are they not? Or perhaps they have already decided? It's hard to tell if this is for show or to truly assess the current situation."

"This is unprecedented, Saya-sama. I'm sure they don't know what to do with you. Your official sentence will be announced tonight in the great hall, in front of everyone who resides here in the palace."

Saya swallowed hard and nodded, already dreading the event.

"Please allow the handmaidens to come in and help me dress for the day."

* * *

Although the layers of kimonos and yukatas were made of the richest fabrics, Saya chose dark, plain colors to show respect to her king and his advisors. She felt that some of the more decorative kimonos would be inappropriate, she was afraid that they would think she was being flamboyant during a time in which her punishment was to be determined. However, she did allow a modest, yet dazzling, headpiece to adorn her hair; she didn't want the advisors to forget that she was the imperial princess while they were judging her. Of course, she had forgotten that fact for some time and still hadn't completely remembered her duties before her accident had left her without her memories.

Currently, she was sitting on a pillow in the middle of the summit room while the king and his advisors sat in a semi-circle around her. They had already asked her several questions, most of them pertaining to the information they had already received from Souta. While some seemed rather harsh with her, most agreed that she truly had forgotten her status and duties within the King's realm. There was nothing to suggest she had willingly run away the night of her accident and would have returned if not for being attacked.

"Why do you think you were attacked, Hime-sama?" One advisor asked after some discussion amongst themselves. That is how most of the questioning went. They would ask her a question, she would answer as best she could, then they would debate her answer for ten minutes until someone would ask another.

"We cannot tell you. We do not know ourself."

"Did you ever reveal your face to anyone within the Soul Society, Hime-sama? That is before the night in question."

Saya sighed, she had hoped this question would not come up but expected it anyway. "We had revealed our face to former division twelve taicho, Urahara Kisuke and to our father."

His Majesty looked slightly shocked but covered it with a blank stare while his advisors became angry at her.

"Why would Hime-sama do such a careless thing? Revealing your face to a captain within the protection squads is forbidden." Another advisor spat.

"We did not try to be careless, although we realize now we should not have done it. Urahara is not the one who attacked us, we do not know who it was."

"And your father?" This time it was the king who spoke. The entire room silenced when his strong voice rang out, yet his tone was not unkind.

"We cannot remember our father. Though we believe him to be deceased, he never found us while we were living in the Sereitei."

"You were aware that we had forbidden you to ever meet with him? Your mother had gone against the rules and revealed herself to a shinigami, but protected his identity to the last day of her life. Now I am to understand that you too snuck out of our realm in order to see your peasant father? At the time you knew you were committing a sin, did you not?"

"Forgive us, your majesty, we did."

More outbursts from the advisors filled the room.

"And here we thought all along that Saya-hime-sama was the perfect guard for His Majesty. All along her actions put him at risk, she is no different from a traitor."

Saya wasn't sure who made that comment, but she wasn't about to let it pass by. Although she was speaking out of place, she didn't care. "I don't remember a lot of my past, but I am being truthful with what I do remember. But I know that I always acted in the best interest of His Majesty. I would have never deliberately done anything that I thought would put my King in harm's way. Even if I did sin, I was always careful that he would be safe. I am no traitor! Even with my memory wiped out, I still served His Majesty in the protection squads."

"How dare you speak out of turn!"

"She has forgotten the rules of our realm, be kinder to Hime-sama."

"Her actions were careless."

"She was a child then and is still young, she did nothing that wouldn't be expected of anyone."

"Silence!" His Majesty's voice quieted all the noise. Knowing it would be highly inappropriate to laugh, Saya stifled a chuckle. She had just remembered from where she had gotten her impatience for noise and meaningless babble. "Advisors, you are dismissed. I would like to question the princess alone."

Minor grumbles were heard as the old men filed out of the room. She wanted to watch them leave, but Saya kept her head bowed and waited for her King to address her. Instead of him speaking, Saya heard him give a weary sigh and raised her head to gaze at the majestic man. He sat on his throne, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"They get to be rather noisy, don't you think?"

Saya smiled. "Hai, ojii-sama."

The king's bright eyes sparkled as he looked at his granddaughter. He motioned for her to approach him and Saya took a new position at his feet, resting her chin on one of his knees. "Whether or not your are conscious of it, it seems you have at least remembered how to play your role. In front of others I am your king, alone I am your grandfather. It lightens my heart to hear you call me 'Ojii-sama' again."

Saya smiled, this was the man she remembered from her dreams, the kind old grandfather whom she adored.

"I wanted to talk with you as grandfather and granddaughter, not as King and Princess, or Lord and subordinate."

"I think I much prefer you as a grandfather than as a king."

"That doesn't surprise me. Not having known who you were or your connection to 'The King,' I'm sure you thought him some sort of monster for the missions he sent you on." He began to stroke Saya's head. "What do you think now?"

"I don't think of you, or 'The King' as a monster, but I'm frightened. Please know that I never meant to betray you."

"I know that, Saya. It's just that you did have clear memories of coming from this realm and chose to stay away. Not to mention, you were rather careless with some things before you lost your memory. Now we're in position where you cannot fulfill your duties. Your cousin has stepped in, but that is supposed to be your position to fill."

"I'm sorry, ojii-sama."

The old man looked down at his granddaughter and smiled. "Do you know why you have the name 'Saya?'"

She shook her head.

"Saya is not only your name, but your position within the king's personal guard. As you know, your name means "sheath." Just as a sheath protects the sword, the 'Saya' protects the king. It was your mother's name, you grandmother's name, and on and on for many generations. Since you probably don't remember, I'll tell you, but the 'Saya' was not originally related to the king. All the Sayas that have protected the kings up to this point were from another royal family, one that had always pledged its service to ours, and still does. They too reside here within this realm and act as advisors, soldiers, and officers within my guard. You grandmother's family is highly skilled in fighting and stealth and therefore important to the safety of a king.

"My first 'Saya' was unfortunately killed by a man who intended to assassinate me and take over my throne. Your grandmother became my premiere bodyguard after that. I didn't mean to, but I fell in love with her and I was lucky enough that she loved me back. But only her direct line could serve as 'Saya.' So when your mother was born, she became the next in line and then you after that. Your firstborn daughter will also become a 'Saya.'"

"It seems my position has a rather high turnover rate. I was your fourth protector, was I not? Now my cousin acts as your fifth."

He nodded. "As my 'Saya,' you have two main duties. The first is to protect my life as best you can and the second is to provide an heir that will take over for you when you are no longer able to fulfill the first. We only had one daughter, so that was your mother. She only had one daughter."

"So as of right now, I am the end of the line?"

"Yes."

"But I can't fulfill my duties anymore because so many people know my name, face, and feel of my spiritual pressure. There are also several people who know that I've gone by the name of 'Ichijin.' My anonymity no longer exists."

Saya and her grandfather sat in silence for a long moment. Saya couldn't say that she had many thoughts running through her head, she had too much information thrown at her lately that her mind didn't move fast enough to process it all.

"Saya, I must ask you. Are you still pure?"

Saya's eyes widened and her mouth dropped open slightly, she wasn't expecting that question.

"I have to ask because you are the true protector of the king. You cannot perform your duty as my body guard, but you are still expected to provide an heir. Do you understand?"

Saya nodded but didn't answer.

Her grandfather's patience started to grow shorter as the moments of silence grew longer. "Saya?"

"Forgive me, ojii-sama." She whispered and dropped her eyes. It was several moments before she looked up into his face and was graced with cold eyes. She knew where she had learned to give that look as well and now she was on the receiving end of it. She hated it. His look made her feel as if she had done the most sinful act. It made her feel small, shamed, and even dirty. Saya used all her strength not to cry and dropped her head again.

"Who was it?" He asked, his tone smooth but icy.

His question came as a surprise to Saya. If he didn't know, this meant that Souta had not shared everything he had been told. Souta must had known that it would only bring her despair if anyone found out who her lover had been. Juushiro would have been punished, regardless of the fact that neither of them knew who she really was. "It matters not."

The king's spiritual pressure hit Saya like a ton of bricks and it flared in anger around her. "It is forbidden."

"I was unaware of that at the time."

"But even so, you are still not married. You have shamed me and your adopted family by laying, unwed, with a man."

Saya bit her tongue, almost finding the statement funny while thinking about how Shunsui would hound Juushiro for details. Thankfully, Juushiro never gave in. But she was brought out of those thoughts as more pressure swirled around her. "Please forgive me."

"Who is this man?"

"It matters not."

"You will not tell me?"

"Forgive me. But I love him too much. He should not be punished for receiving my love."

The king gave a hard glare to Saya, but then relented and lifted his reitsu from his granddaughter. "Your mother said the same thing about the man that she loved too. Like mother like daughter. I suppose it doesn't matter after all, regardless of that mistake you are still a royal princess."

Saya was still too afraid to look at her grandfather, although it seemed the worst of his anger had passed.

"Leave now and return to your quarters. You will be summoned tonight to receive punishment for your sins."

"Hai." Saya made to leave but was caught by her grandfather and brought into a tight hug.

"No matter what, I am happy you are home."

Saya returned the embrace but didn't say anything. She didn't feel like she was home. Juushiro was the only home for her.

* * *

It felt to Saya like millions of eyes watched her while she listened as the king's top advisor relayed, first her story, and then her list of crimes to people who had gathered in the great hall. She kneeled on a pillow in the middle of it all, head bowed, hands folded as she waited for her sentence to be spoken by the king. Though she never turned her head, or moved her eyes to peer at the people watching her humiliation, she knew they were all looking at her and sharing their own opinions with each other on the matter. Her appearance had caused quite a stir and many were calling her the "Prodigal Princess." She might have found the nickname amusing in any other situation, but she couldn't find anything funny about her present circumstances.

The king stood in front of his throne and Saya lowered herself to the floor, forehead laying on top of her hands and her nose barely an inch off the ground, to show her ultimate submission to him. An act that she did instinctively, knowing that she should, considering the situation.

"It is time we say our piece." The whole room quieted as everyone held their breath in anticipation of the imperial princess's sentence. "Now that we all are informed about the circumstances regarding the Naishinnou's disappearance, it is my duty to hand out punishment for her crimes. The Naishinnou has lived through some troubling experiences, but she has sinned as well. It was difficult deciding her retribution, as she was unaware of her past and of her identity for so long. However, we feel that our decision is just."

Saya took a breath, knowing what was to follow.

"Saya-naishinnou, your penalty is as follows. You are forbidden to ever enter the Sereitei for the remainder of your days and may not have any contact with any who reside there. You are to wear a reitsu suppression bracelet for the remainder of your days and will no longer serve as a soldier in any capacity and any training to further your strength and skill level is strictly prohibited. You may not leave the palace grounds without our permission and must have an escort if permission is granted. Is this understood?"

"We understand, honored king." Saya said, still speaking from her bowed position on the floor.

"Finally…"

_Finally? What else could there be?"_

"Since you are no longer able to serve us as a warrior, you will be expected to uphold your other duties as 'Saya.' With a suitor of my choice, you will provide an heir to your position so that she may take on the duties as a protector of the King."

Saya was glad that she was looking at the floor and not at the king. Initially shocked, she was now glaring so hard that she was sure the floor would freeze beneath her. If anyone had seen her give this look to the king she probably would have just been thrown in jail or executed. She had actually thought that she could live with the punishment given her, although she might feel like a helpless caged animal. It was not as harsh as she expected, but because she was royalty her punishment would never be as trying as anyone else's. But Saya was expected to provide an heir. She knew what that meant and was desperately trying to think of ways she could keep her promise to Juushiro. She didn't want another man touching her; she didn't want anyone else as a lover. Her eyes swelled but she fought back tears. "We understand, Your Majesty." Her tone was cool, but everyone else would interpret it as respectful.

"Please rise, Saya-naishinnou and receive the bracelet."

A servant carried a red pillow covered in the finest velvet; upon it sat a beautiful bracelet. To anyone else, the bracelet looked like a strand of the finest polished ocean pearls. But Saya knew that it was lethality stone made to look like royal jewels. She had worn a necklace made of the same rock when she was younger, before she learned to control her spiritual pressure.

Another servant brought forth her zanpakuto and laid it at the king's feet. Saya wasn't sure why they had brought Kamikaze out, but assumed he was going to be locked in a cabinet somewhere out of her reach.

_"Saya-sama, do not be afraid. Remember we will always be together, though my voice may not always be heard."_

_"What do you mean, Hanryo? I don't understand."_

_"You will soon enough. Just listen for my voice, I will always be calling out to you."_

_"Kamikaze?"_

_"Is it odd for a servant, such as myself, to express love for his master?"_

_"No because I love you as well. You are my closest and dearest friend, but why are you saying such things? I don't understand."_

"Your wrist please, Saya-hime-sama." One of the king's advisors had taken the bracelet and approached Saya. She held out her right wrist, Juushiro's bracelet still on her left.

As soon as the clasp was fastened, Saya felt her strength drain from her body. She immediately realized that this was no ordinary suppression bracelet, it had been made specifically for her. At first she found it bothersome but then felt panicked when Hanryo's voice sounded distant.

_"Kamikaze?"_ She could barely hear his voice and her eyes found their way to her zanpakuto at the king's feet, her sword slowly disappearing into nothingness.

_"You will have to listen harder, Saya-sama."_ His voice faded away into nothingness as well. Saya saw that her zanpakuto was no more and the buzzing that usually could be heard in the corners of her mind was silenced. She fell to her knees and bowed her head, wanting so badly to cry but refusing to shame herself further in front of the spectators. The realization of her punishment started to form in her head. The bracelet was made to specifically suppress her powers, her Kamikaze, and now she tasted the bitter feeling of true loneliness on her tongue.

_Perhaps it would have been better to die after all. I have given up the ones I love and then Hanryo was taken from me. What good will come of this?_ Saya lifted her head and found Souta, his were the sincerest eyes in the room.

* * *

I hope that everyone enjoyed the chapter. It was a little difficult to write, especially when the last two had come to me so easily. The memories at the beginning were just to try and illustrate that everything is coming back to her much faster and in quick flashes. Think movie montage :-P haha. They aren't overly important or anything, just flashes of memories.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to submit a review. I would very much appreciate a review at this time. Muchos gracias!


	34. Chapter 34: Trying

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or anything that has to do with the Bleach franchise.

* * *

Shunsui walked idly to his family's manor where he knew his father and brother would be waiting for him. He had been vague about the details in the messages he sent them, only that he had some news to share about Saya. Of course, his father had written a hasty reply wanting to know if she was hurt. Shunsui simply wrote back, "She's fine," not really knowing what else to say but knowing that his father wouldn't be appeased by the answer. Michi had inquired if Saya was coming as well. Shunsui answered the she wouldn't be able to join them.

Kyouraku Daisuke was doing something rather unexpected for a man of his age and status; he was pacing outside of his front door while waiting for his youngest son to arrive. Shunsui gave a small smile to his father.

"You look like a crazy old man doing that, Oto-san."

"I feel as if I'm about to go crazy, what took you so long? Where is Saya? I know you told Michi that she wouldn't be coming with you but I had hoped she would anyway. You were so vague with your messages. Has something dreadful happened to her? Shunsui, what…"

"I will be sure to answer all of your questions, but I'm sure Michi would like to hear the answers to them as well. Why don't we grab a nice bottle of sake and sit in the gardens?" Shunsui suggested, hoping that perhaps his father would numb himself slightly by the time Shunsui had to deliver the news.

Daisuke looked blankly at his son and then walked into the house while telling a young servant girl to bring some sake out to them.

"Asuko, is that you?" Shunsui asked while tipping the brim of his wide straw hat up in order to get a better look.

"Hai, Shunsui-sama."

"You've grown prettier since last time I've seen you and I always thought you very pretty."

"Arigato, Shunsui-sama." Asuko blushed slightly. "My husband thinks me pretty as well."

"Ah, so that's it. Congratulations, I had no idea. They say that a woman who is taken by the man she loves grows prettier each time. Your husband must be insatiable." Shunsui kissed her hand.

"Shunsui, leave the girl alone." Michi had entered the room and was leaning against one of the doorways, arms crossed in front of him, giving Shunsui a sly look. "Besides, father is wanting to know where you and the sake are. I figured I would look for one and would surely find the other. But, at least I found you."

Asuko bowed and ran towards the cellar. Shunsui started to walk towards the back of the house to exit to the gardens but Michi grabbed his arm in passing.

"I know it's not good news. You always write vague letters when you have something bad to tell us. Is father going to be terribly upset? Is Saya alright?"

Shunsui saw the concerned look in Michi's eyes. "Let us join father and I will answer all your questions."

By the time Shunsui and Michi joined their father in the back gardens, Asuko was already pouring sake into their waiting cups. Shunsui was happy to note that his father had quickly downed the first cup in one gulp and motioned for another. Obviously, Daisuke was expecting something horrible.

"How is my nephew doing, Michi?" Shunsui asked as they sat down.

"The little tike is doing fine. He's trying to convince me to allow him to go to the Spiritual Arts Academy; wants to be a soul reaper like his dear aunt and uncle. But he's still only a child."

"Well, if he ever wants to spend a week with me…"

"Stop stalling, Shunsui." Michi said seriously. "I appreciate you asking about my son, but the fact is you came here to discuss Saya and you have been avoiding the subject. Get on with it."

Shunsui gave a loud sigh. "I suppose it's no use then. Where to begin? Saya has gone, supposedly to the king's realm. I really don't think that there is any other place she'd be right now."

Taking advantage of the shocked silence that followed, Shunsui allowed himself a long sip of sake.

"Explain everything." Daisuke whispered. His eyes were wide and his hand was visibly shaking as he brought his sake cup to his lips.

Shunsui nodded and began the story.

* * *

"How did it go, Shunsui?"

It was too much to expect that Juushiro wouldn't immediately ask him as soon as he opened the door to his friend's small house. "As good as to be expected, I suppose. Father and Michi were terribly upset. I think the main problem is that none of us really understand why she went back. All I can guess is that she must have been too afraid to stay here. It would be good to know what Souta-kun meant by 'treating her like a traitor.'"

"Perhaps death? That is how traitors are dealt with here in the Sereitei, are they not?"

"But I think Saya would have said something to us. She didn't really give us any clues." Shunsui's hand absently went up to the ribbon in his hair, Saya's ribbon.

"Is there anywhere that we can obtain information from the king's realm? I seriously doubt that it's kept in the main records hall." Juushiro said while taking a sip of tea.

Shunsui looked at his friend. If there was one person who wanted answers more than Shunsui, it was Juushiro. Outside of this house he didn't speak of Saya and everyone seemed too skiddish on the subject to mention it in front of him. Shunsui knew that it probably only worsened his pain, but was happy that the two of them could talk about her now. It had only been a few days and the pain of her leaving cut deep in both of them, but their friendship was strong and they relied on each other to help heal.

Shunsui had heard through the grapevine that the ninth squad was really upset about the disappearance of their vice-captain. Shunsui and Juushiro had informed Soutaicho about why Saya was missing; it didn't talk long for the rumors to fly throughout the court, most of them incorrect. It seemed to Shunsui that Soutaicho encouraged the false rumors. Most believe she had gone on a secret mission to the real world and been killed by a hollow. Only the other captains knew the truth behind her absence, but discussion on the matter among anyone but themselves was absolutely forbidden and would result in a harsh punishment.

* * *

A couple hours had passed and Shunsui was walking towards his division. He had taken to sleeping in his private rooms located in his office rather than at his own manor.

"Kyouraku-taicho." A voice called from behind him.

Shunsui turned his head and saw Aizen approach. "Good evening Aizen-kun."

"Good evening. I hadn't had the chance to apologize to you yet. I'm very sorry to hear about Saya."

Shunsui nodded his head a little. "She was attached to you in her own way. I know that she had seriously considered your offer on becoming your vice-captain. I forget sometimes that more of us are suffering than just myself and Juushiro. You must feel some loss as well."

"I don't mean to compare my feelings to yours or Ukitake-taicho's. But I did favor Saya and am sorry that she is no longer here. If there's anything I can do for you, please let me know."

Shunsui nodded once more, thanked him for his kind words and started off towards his own division again.

Aizen watched as Shunsui became smaller and smaller as the distance between them grew. His sincere smile turned into an irritated line.

"Yo little Saya ain't gonna be helpin' us now taicho." Gin said as he stepped out from the shadows.

"It is of no matter. It may be of benefit that Saya is no longer a factor."

"Whatcha mean, taicho? Ain't they gonna train 'er back up?"

"Not after so many people now know who she is. They'll suppress her powers. She'll be no more able than any tramp from the human world." Aizen answered.

"Whatta shame. You was really hopin' this time?"

"Like I said, it doesn't really matter." Aizen turned to head back to his own living quarters.

* * *

A week passed and Saya still hadn't moved from her bed, falling in and out of sleep that couldn't be described as peaceful. Her hair was greasy and her skin lackluster. All of the maids assigned to her pleaded for her to get out of bed and at least bathe and change into new clothing, but Saya would ignore them all, pretending that no one existed.

In fact, the interruptions only upset her more. Saya was sure that if she listened hard enough, that if everything was quiet around her then she would be able to hear Hanryo. But after a week of nothing but her own thoughts filling her mind, after hours of sleeping without seeing his face, Saya felt defeated. Thoughts of Juushiro, Shunsui, and Kamikaze filled her mind and left her without hope. She never thought that Kamikaze would be taken from her the way he was, especially when she felt like the giving up her lover and brother was punishment enough.

One time Saya had attempted to take of the bracelet that subdued her inner spirit; it had burned her fingertips. Anyone else could touch it without pain, but Saya would not be able to take it off.

She heard the door open as she often did, but the footsteps coming towards her were much heavier than the young handmaidens that came into her room. She knew who it was without looking, but refused to take her eyes off of the canopy.

"Saya-sama." Souta's voice was quiet, as if he might break her if he spoke too loudly.

No answer. The sound of his voice made her want to cry, it was filled with pity and concern and she didn't want anyone to look at her like that, no matter what her pathetic state. She knew she was pathetic; she didn't have to see herself to understand that. All she wanted was to be numb and everyone around her to be numb towards her. She figured that she was almost there, if only she pushed a little harder.

"Saya-sama, the maids say you haven't eaten anything for a week."

No answer. Why should she eat? She didn't feel hungry, people who didn't possess any substantial amount of spiritual pressure didn't need to eat, they didn't become hungry. Right now, Saya's soul was just as ordinary as any human's found on earth.

"Saya-sama, don't you think a bath might help you feel a little better?"

No answer. A bath would make her feel clean, it might possibly rinse away the numbness that she was so close to achieving, she didn't want to have to start over again.

"Saya… please."

Saya blinked in surprise. She had been so used to Souta using the honorific that she was taken off guard when he only said her name. His voice was no longer filled with pity or concern, it was simply pleading with her to do anything, say anything. A second shock hit Saya when she turned to look at Souta's face. No anger was etched in his features, much to Saya's surprise, she had expected him to be furious or at least mildly irritated by her. Instead, all she saw was pain in his eyes and the heaviness of that grief clearly showed in his features. Souta looked haggard by the sorrow that pressed down on him like an invisible weight.

It was then a realization hit her.

Slowly turning and throwing her feet over the opposite side of the bed, her back towards the young man, Saya stood for the first time in a little more than a week. "Please tell the handmaidens to help me with my bath. And then have someone inform the kitchen that I would like something to eat."

Her words came out more dead than even she expected, but at least they came out. Saya didn't have to look at Souta's face; she already felt the small lift in his spirit. Hearing his footsteps heading towards the door, Saya made her way to her bath and waited for the maids to tend to her. While alone, Saya took a glance in the mirror and immediately turned her face from the person looking back at her. She didn't recognize herself. That girl in the mirror looked sallow, her eyes were dead, hair limp, lips dried. Saya hadn't wanted to acknowledge her own pitiable state and couldn't bear facing it for more than a moment.

"Naishinnou-sama, thank you so much for allowing us to take care of you." Saya's head maidservant said with a bow upon entering the bathing area.

Saya nodded once. "Forgive me for the trouble I've caused you."

By the stunned face of her maid, Saya assumed she had probably never once apologized for any trouble she had caused in the past and most likely wasn't expected to apologize now. She turned her gaze away from the woman, choosing to ignore the unexpected response. Saya knew her own face was still blank and emotionless, despite the looks of those around her.

_Kamikaze, what would you say right now? Would you tell me that I was harsh in the past, uncaring, and this is why they react in such a way even though they deserve the apology?_

Saya closed her eyes, not that tears would escape them anyway, she had run out of tears after her first night without Hanryo.

"Naishinnou-sama, your bath is ready."

* * *

Two butlers led Saya to her grandfather's private study. Having bathed, eaten, dressed (though she still insisted on plain colors), and made-up, Saya felt she looked appropriate enough to go and see him. If she remembered correctly, and she had a feeling she did, he would always see Saya whenever she wanted a visit. Others were always forced to make an appointment. But under the current circumstances, she knew that he would especially want to see her, no matter the time or place. As expected, she was granted immediate entry into his study.

The king looked impassive as Saya stepped in with the two butlers and he dismissed them with a word and a wave of his hand. After the two butlers left, the king's face took a different expression. Saya was almost amused by the revolving looks of worry, concern, confusion. Although she couldn't be sure, Saya hoped that she recognized a bit of regret run through the lines of his face as well.

"Saya, I've been so concerned." The king made a slight motion, as if he might walk over to his granddaughter but stopped himself.

She raised a curious brow. "Are you afraid to embrace me, ojii-sama? That makes me sad, but if you don't feel you should then I won't ask it of you. I simply came here to show you that I will start acting as an imperial princess should. I will no longer burden you with my recent behavior. I'm sure you have been suffering, in your own way, as well. I know that I have duties other than…" Saya stopped, knowing she was about choke on the words. She felt as her eyes turned cold and her face tensed and so she looked away from her grandfather momentarily to calm herself. "Other than what you have outlined in my punishment. I am making myself available to you and any of your affairs that you may wish me to take part. That is all." Saya was slightly irritated with herself. Her voice still sounded dead and distant to her and she was hoping that it would come out cold and serious.

Her grandfather crossed the room in what seemed like one step and embraced Saya. "You have no idea how much relief I feel just seeing you stand before me. I have been worried all this time when they told me you would not eat or speak. I know that a heavy burden has been laid on you. You are not yourself, but you are trying, and that is enough for me right now."

Although she attempted to give him a smile, Saya's face couldn't move in that way. Seeming to understand, her grandfather gave her a small kiss on her temple.

"I'm sure I am not the only one you wish to speak to?"

Saya's eyes widened slightly and then she felt her face return to its previous deadened state as she nodded and turned to leave, realizing there were many things about her grandfather that she had forgotten. Even though he was king of the soul society, he was still just her concerned grandfather in private. That was his true self; the other was only a mask he wore for others.

* * *

Even the smallest of tasks, such as bathing, eating, and walking short distances seemed to suck the energy out of Saya, not that she currently had much energy to play with. After her short visit with her grandfather, Saya required a nap. Although they tried to hide it, many of the servants looked worried, as if she was going to revert back to the staying in bed for days at a time. Saya couldn't deny that the idea still appealed to her, but she explained that it was because she hadn't been active much and the small amount of activity had exhausted her. It was true and Saya actually had a semi-restful sleep.

When she awoke again it was late in the evening, the sun was setting and the sky was painted with warm pinks, reds, and oranges. It looked as if someone had upturned their paint buckets and just allowed the rich colors to spread across their canvas.

_Sunsets are truly magnificent here in the King's realm._ Saya thought. Out of habit she waited for a response from her friend, but only silence filled her mind. She allowed herself a defeated sigh and then called for a handmaiden to assist her in readying herself for dinner.

* * *

"We are so happy that you have decided to join us, Naishinnou-sama. You are looking well."

Saya looked at the king's advisor and attempted to smile but it was in vain. But she actually believed the man in front of her; he had been one of the advisors that were adamant about her being forgiven and wholly believed her situation.

"Arigato, Hitoshi-san. It brings us pleasure to share your company." Saya bowed her head slightly towards the older gentleman. He was probably older than her grandfather, but still with much life left in him. Known for his even-temper and ability to look at a situation from all perspectives, Hitoshi was a valued member in the King's cabinet.

A small twinkle seemed to pass through his eyes and an amused smile played on his lips. "It will get easier." He whispered. "It doesn't seem like it now, but it will. You are lying to others, trying your best to act according to how they would want you to. Soon those lies will become what you tell yourself as well. If you hear them enough, then they will become the truth and you won't have to fool anyone anymore. At that time, you will be happy."

Saya nodded her head a little lower. "Arigato. We will remember and cherish your words."

* * *

After dismissing her escorts, Saya made her way out of the palace and into the lavish gardens that decorated its courts and grounds. People bowed as she passed, and in general she paid them no heed. That seemed to be what they expected anyway. Although all the gardens were beautiful and peaceful, only one in particular would satisfy her. It was odd for Saya, knowing exactly how to get to a place she only barely remembered. It was as if the muscles of her body were doing the remembering for her as her mind was totally unaware of what was happening, clearly her feet had walked this path thousands of times.

Saya stopped a few feet short of her destination and looked at the young man who was leaning against a large tree. His eyes were closed and he looked peaceful, so different from the pained expression he wore earlier that day. Much to Saya's surprise, she felt a small smile at the edge of her lips and felt her mouth with her fingertips just to be sure she wasn't mistaken. It had felt odd to smile.

Souta's eyes opened and he turned to look a Saya. He blinked several times and started to stand up.

"Don't move, Souta-kun. You looked so peaceful I didn't want to disturb you." Saya sighed inwardly, even if she had managed a small smile, it didn't reach her voice.

"Saya-sama, I…"

"Aren't you going to invite me to join you? That would be the polite thing to do."

Souta smiled. "Saya-sama, please join me."

Another small smile made its way to Saya's face as she walked the last few steps and sat beside Souta under the tree. Neither of them said anything at first, only looked at the stars that shone brightly over them.

"I remembered the other times that you had called me only 'Saya.' You hardly ever dropped the honorific from my name, even though I had asked you several times. You only dropped it when I made you hurt. I remember that I had been severely wounded by a hollow and you were frightened that I wasn't going to live. You called me Saya then, while you were begging me to stay alive."

Souta nodded, but didn't turn to look at the blonde girl beside him.

"The other time was when I went to visit my father in the Sereitei and I didn't tell you I was leaving. You cried thinking that I wasn't going to come back. You were so young then; I don't think it was long after I had brought you to live here and you were always attached to my hip then. You thought that I had abandoned you and you cried to me when I returned. 'Saya, please don't leave leave me again. I thought you gone forever. I was so sad, Saya.'

"I remember how much it hurt me, to know that Souta-kun had suffered because of me. I cringed at the thought of making you sad, at bringing you pain. I'm sure the thought of my being alive brought you happiness at one point, and I have stomped all over your happy feelings. Here I am, not thinking of how others may feel, bringing you pain. I am suffering too, but it is selfish of me to take it out on the ones I love."

Souta looked at Saya for the first time since she had sat beside him.

"I will do my best to not make you suffer anymore. I am sorry that I have already brought you so much pain, though I feel like I cannot yet ask for your forgiveness. When I can be content in my current situation, I will ask for your forgiveness and I hope you will give it to me." Saya said.

"You are already forgiven, Saya-sama. It makes me happy that you're trying. It will only make you suffer more if you feel I am unhappy with you. But please remember, you don't have to shoulder this alone. It will ease you to let me share some of your burden. The thing that has hurt the most is that Saya-sama won't speak with me, she won't share her thoughts her feelings. Saya-sama would always tell me everything. I will help ease your pain, and by allowing me to help you, you will ease my suffering as well.

"I know that it will take a long time for you to feel content. I feel bad for taking you away from the happy life you made for yourself. But please help me build some happiness here for you."

Saya's eyes widened in surprise and then a true smile formed on her lips. "Souta-kun is not that small child I remember. He is a very fine man, ne? Thank you."

A small blush covered Souta's face as he smiled back. "Thank you, Saya-sama."

* * *

Arigatougozaimasu to everyone who has reviewed, specifically: Daydreamer Magby, Ukitake-chan, I heart Bleach, HaloteveCV, firewaterearthwind, rukia23, SheDevil85, cheeky half-demon, SorryCharlie, Fefisgbf13, Gimlet, and SemperVenice. Thank you to everyone that put this story on alerts, faved or added me as a favorite author, it truly means so much to me.

I hope you didn't find this chapter as depressing, although Saya is still depressed, she's trying. I'm excited, as I'm in the final stages of the story... but you know me, chances are this will be the never-ending-fanfic! hahaha.

Anyway, please take the time to review, I always appreciate any feedback.


	35. Chapter 35: Bouyuu

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or anything that has to do with the Bleach franchise.

* * *

Saya was trying. That's all she could do. Every day she got out of bed, bathed, dressed, ate, and went about her daily routine. It wasn't that her daily routine had consisted of much, not having many duties. She mainly hid herself in the king's library reading whatever caught her fancy. She would dine with the king and his advisors and put on her fake smile for everyone. The only thing she ever looked forward to each day was the time that she spent with Souta in their favorite garden. He had taken to telling her stories of the times that they had spent together when they were younger.

In the past four months, it was only when she was with Souta that her smile was genuine.

Currently, Saya was making her way to the king's boardroom where she was to meet with him and his advisors. Having not been informed as to the reasons she was meeting with the cabinet, Saya was feeling anxious about the situation.

Keeping her eyes on the floor, Saya made her way to the middle of the room, knelt on the black satin pillow placed there, and bowed her head, waiting to be addressed.

The king cleared his throat before speaking. "Saya-naishinnou, we have invited you here today so that we could inform you of your duties. As a member of the imperial family, it is important that you take part in its affairs."

Saya lifted her head but kept her eyes low. "We would be honored to serve His Majesty."

"Saya-naishinnou, you will be in charge of consulting with members from Central 46 and helping them solve conflicts that occur within the Sereitei. Most of the time they will be able to come to conclusions themselves, but there are the rare instances in which they do not know the proper action to take. It is in these times that you will be looked upon in order to provide the answer and actions that must be carried out. Your word will be final."

"Hai. We our honored Your Majesty has given us such responsibility when we are unworthy. We will do our best to be useful to you." Saya bowed low.

"There is one more thing, Naishinnou-sama." Saya turned her head to the advisor who had just spoken. It was Lord Higa Iwao. As far as she could remember, Saya never held fond feelings towards this particular man. He was also one of the more severe members of the cabinet when it had come to her punishment. "You will begin meeting with potential suitors in order set up a proper marriage and heir to the position of Saya."

Saya's eyes narrowed slightly, but then she quickly hid any emotions she was feeling. If the advisors knew she was so against the idea of suitor, they would simply choose a husband and force her to marry without any consideration. At least they allowed her to meet the candidates and she would also have a say in who was chosen. Saya figured that her grandfather, knowing that she was in love with someone else, had been kind enough to stall this part of her punishment for as long as his advisors would allow. But he was still the king, and it was still required of her to produce an heir. She had been happy that they didn't force that part of her punishment on her so quickly, but now that it was facing her, Saya had wished they would put it off a little longer. It was going to be tricky situation.

"However we can be useful to His Majesty." Saya was glad that her tone had come out calm and serious versus bitter like her feelings.

After Saya had been told that two members of the Central 46 would be meeting with her later that day, she left the king's boardroom and prepared her own offices for visitors. Although her mind should have been on the meeting, all she could think about was the face that she would have to start dealing with unwanted suitors.

_Hanryo, I wish that you were here with me. I could really use your help now._

Several hours passed and Saya waited in her office for the Central 46 ambassadors. She wore many layers of impressive kimonos and yukata, as was procedure when conducting these kinds of affairs, but found the fact she had to wear the impressive robes amusing. Amusing because the members of the Central 46 would be blindfolded and she would be wearing a headdress that covered her entire face. All the pomp of her wardrobe was really unnecessary, but expected.

Three quick knocks were heard on the door and Saya gave her permission for entrance. The two guests were a man and woman, both wearing the usual haori of the Central 46 and escorted by two guards each, flanking their sides.

"Naishinnou-sama, we present Lord Katou and Lady Miwa." Said one of the masked escorts.

"We are happy to receive the Lord and Lady, please be seated." Saya answered.

The guests bowed sat crossed-legged on satin pillows in front of Saya while she said on a slightly raised platform.

"We are honored to be in the presence of Naishinnou-sama." Lord Katou said.

"The same is said for our honored guests. You two must be very well respected to have been chosen as the ambassadors for you and your colleagues in the Central 46."

Lord Katou blushed slightly while Lady Miwa gave a satisfied smile.

"Please tell us what business you bring this day." Saya said, slightly intrigued by how easily the formality of everything came back to her. She also couldn't help but let her mind slip to one of Shunsui's first comments to her, about giving compliments.

Lady Miwa started by filling Saya in on what was happening in the Sereitei. It didn't seem like anything had changed much since the time that she'd been gone, not that anything drastic would happen anyway. The school was running the same as always, the same quarrels between squads.

"Very well. Central 46 seems to be doing a fine job of keeping everything in order within the Sereitei. Please give your comrades our best regards."

"Thank you, Naishinnou-sama. But there is one problem we don't have an answer to." It was Lord Katou that spoke.

Saya stayed silent, waiting to hear the problem. She was slightly perturbed that Lady Miwa had not mentioned anything in her general report, but then Saya figured that was her job. Miwa was going to tell her how good everything was and then it was Katou's job to discuss the problematic issues.

"It seems that two students have the same zanpakuto spirit."

Saya was glad her face was covered by a headdress and that they had blindfolds over their eyes. The look that passed over it had certainly been anything but elegant and royal.

"Did we hear you correctly, two students sharing the same zanpakuto? Surely you are mistaken. The zanpakuto is born directly of one's soul. It is impossible for one zanpakuto to have a contract with two different shinigami. Perhaps it's that their zanpakuto are similar?"

Lord Katou swallowed hard before addressing Saya again, nervous to contradict the princess. "We looked into that possibility already, Naishinnou-sama. What I said was the truth; it is the same zanpakuto spirit. We are unsure how to solve this problem."

"If it is a problem." Saya said flatly. Lord Katou patted his brow with a light cloth, clearly nervous about having upset Saya. However, she knew it was a problem. Since the zanpakuto is born directly of a shinigami's spirit, it is almost impossible for another's soul to be so alike that they would produce the same spirit. From what she knew, this situation had happened once before, where two shinigami shared the same zanpakuto. At first they looked at sharing the same sword as a bond, but their feelings soon changed as jealousy and resentment settled in. Any success gained by one soldier was hated by the other. Eventually, the two shinigami ended up destroying themselves and several innocent people in a battle to the death. They had been so blinded by desire to gain more power than the other, that destruction and domination was all they could think about.

"Who are these two shinigami?" Saya asked.

"They are students in the Academy, My Lady. Hitsugaya Toshiro and Kusaka Sojiro. Hitsugaya-san is very young, one of the rare geniuses that show up every few centuries and Kusaka is a talented student in his own right. They are classmates and good friends."

"We see. And the zanpakuto?"

"Hyorinmaru. He is a great ice dragon." Lord Katou said.

Saya gave an inward sigh before speaking once again. "Unfortunately, history shows us that two people cannot possess the same zanpakuto and coexist peacefully. The two students must fight each other. Whoever shows the greatest combat skill and dominance over their zanpakuto will be allowed to keep this Hyorinmaru."

"What about the one who loses?"

"It can only be death. The loser would surely want for revenge on the victor. If the loser is still alive, then the victor can never truly be satisfied with his own mastery over his zanpakuto. Two shinigami sharing the same zanpakuto cannot coexist. We believe we have said this already."

"Yes, of course Naishinnou-sama."

"Before you leave, we have a request." Saya had definitely seen the benefits to this position as soon as the king granted it to her. "All of the squads fill out paperwork about the goings on and overall conduct of their division, correct?"

"Hai."

"We would like a compiled file of each division's report every week. It is to include new members, deaths of current members, quarrels between members, quarrels between other squads, and any generalized problems occurring within squad. It would beneficial for us to have a general knowledge of the working and morale of the Sereitei so that our meetings are highly effective. Also, I may call on you if I have concerns of my own. We will send a messenger to retrieve the reports."

"Hai."

"That is all, you are dismissed. Thank you for your time and we will continue to look forward to working with Lord Katou and Lady Miwa." Saya sat back and smiled to herself after the Lord and Lady left. She took of her headdress and folded her hands across her stomach.

_At least this way I will know what's going on in the Sereitei without breaking any of the rules of my punishment. _Saya's smile turned into a wicked smirk. _One must always know and have a thorough understanding of the rules so that they can bend them to their desire. Speaking of rules, there is another I must "bend." Souta-kun will help me with that one._

* * *

"Saya-sama, are you nervous about meeting the suitor?" Souta whispered. Saya was lying against his arm and had already informed him that a suitor would be coming within the next few days.

"Hai. I don't want to meet him at all."

"What will you do? I'm sure you're trying to think of a way to get out of this."

"You'd be right. I don't know how, though. I need to do this carefully. If I'm blatantly displeased with every courter that comes through here, the advisors will start to get suspicious and demand I choose one to marry, or worse, simply pick one out for me."

"You will have to get them to show their nasty side while in front of the king or advisors." Souta said, matter-of-factly. Saya knew that this was another reason why she had always adored Souta; he was always 100 percent on her side.

The two stared up from their spot in the garden and looked up at the moon. It was full and shining brightly from its spot in the sky.

"It's the same moon." Saya whispered.

"What is that?" Souta asked.

"Whenever I look at the moon, I think to myself that Juushiro is looking at the same one. Even though we are separated, we are still part of the same place. I know it doesn't make much sense, but it eases my pain to think that we are still connected in some way."

Souta squeezed Saya's hand tighter and leaned his head on top of hers. "You love him very much." It wasn't a question.

"Hai."

Several moments of silence passed before Souta spoke again. "At one time, I would have wished for the love you give to Ukitake-san to belong to me. All I wanted was Saya-sama's love."

Saya looked up at Souta who was staring at the moon. His eyes weren't sad, but filled with happiness. "Souta-kun?" She whispered.

"But then I didn't have you in my life anymore and I was alone with my thoughts and feelings for so long. I realized that I did have Saya-sama's love; that it was a special love she had only for me and no one else. I had taken for granted the love you showed me, always wanting more and for it to be a different kind of love.

"Now that I have you back in my life, I am satisfied. You still love me in a special way that you don't give to anyone else, even Ukitake-san. This is the Saya only for me, and nothing will ever change that. I will not be so selfish again; I will not take your love for me for granted."

Saya's eyes started to fill with tears that spilled over and ran down her cheeks. She knew it was hard for Souta to share these feelings, but so happy that he had. What he had said was true, the love she had for Souta was unique in its own way, and couldn't be broken. Although she would never feel for him in the way she felt about a lover, it was a strong and intimate sort of bond they shared.

Souta looked at Saya, took her face in his hands and brushed her tears away with his thumbs. "Please don't cry, Saya-sama. The only thing I want is your happiness. I'm sorry that I pulled you away from the happiness you built with Juushiro. I hope that you can find contentment here."

Saya smiled. "I will try harder. But please know I am happy with Souta-kun."

"Yes, I know. But it's important for Saya-sama to be happy no matter the situation.

Saya's smiled widened as she hugged Souta. "Hey Souta-kun, that reminds me... I was hoping you could help me with something?"

Souta cocked an eyebrow, his memory was well in tact and when Saya asked for help instead of simply telling you what she wanted done, it usually meant she was up to something that could potentially cause problems. "What is it?"

"Well, I was wondering if you would… play with me? It would make me very happy."

"What kind of _play_ would this be?" Souta unconsciously scooted away from Saya who was wearing that devilish grin on her lips. He knew that meant she was up to no good.

"Maybe you could bring a couple of practice swords tomorrow night and we could meet in the clearing out in the woods instead?"

Souta's eyes went wide with realization. "Saya-sama, it's forbidden for you to train!"

"Who said I was training? We used to play like that all the time." Saya's smirk turned into a sweet smile while honey dripped from her tongue. "It'll be for fun, that's all."

Souta sighed, knowing that if they were found out it would be hard to convince anyone they were only playing. "Hai, whatever Saya-sama wishes."

Saya gave Souta a kiss on his temple. "Arigato, Souta-kun. It will be fun for us to play together, ne? We haven't in so long."

Souta just rubbed the back of his head and sighed again.

* * *

Dressed in the finest of silks with a royal headdress covering her hair and face, Saya waited as the young prince, the first one to come and court her; exited his carriage and made over. Saya already disliked him from fifty yards away. He walked with his nose in the air as if he were the greatest creation, and Saya was the lucky one to meet him. The smile he wore on his face wasn't in the least bit warm; instead, it was cocky and arrogant. Even his walk seemed to say, "Look at me, for I am the most magnificent creature you have ever laid eyes upon." His dark brown hair had been pinned to the top of his head, with a couple of long pieces falling down to frame his face. His face wasn't handsome, but Saya didn't think he was unfortunate looking by any means; simply someone she wasn't attracted to.

Once again Saya was grateful for the headdress, it was conveinient in covering her facial reactions. _"Ne, Kamikaze? Look at this idiot, I bet the first thing he says is something vain."_ Saya flinched a little when she was met with silence on the other end. No matter how long it had been, she still hadn't gotten use to the silence that held the place of her beloved zanpakuto.

The prince bowed low. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, my dear princess. When I heard that I might have the honor of marrying Naishinnou-sama, I thought to myself, 'With my good looks and her rumored beauty, we are surely to make the greatest pair.' I'm sure now that you've seen me in all of my glory, you couldn't disagree."

"We are pleased to meet you as well, Obata, Shusuke-sama." Saya was pleased that her tone came out polite and not disgusted to match her feelings. _At least I won't have to "trick" him into to displaying his bad points; the royal cabinet will never accept a man like this._

Saya saw Souta fidget a little and assumed he was trying not to let any laughter escape, though couldn't be sure since he was in the traditional uniform of the guard, which masked the face.

Saya and Prince Obata were led to one of the many gardens for tea where he did nothing but talk about himself.

"I am a splendid marksman when it comes to a bow and arrow. My father and I have taken many hunting excursions from the time I was a young boy and it's not uncommon for me to bring home the most impressive game."

"You must be very proud of yourself." Saya answered back in a polite sounding tone.

"Oh yes, but I don't like to brag, you know."

Saya simply nodded.

"I really am good with a sword, all of my teachers have told me so. I have to admit, I go through so many teachers because I always become so much better than them. Honestly it's hard for me to come across anyone who can even match my skill, let alone surpass it." Obata said while brushing some dirt from his sleeve.

"Is that so? How impressive." Saya responded.

"Oh yes, but I don't like to brag, you know."

"Of course not. You are simply stating the facts." Saya said back. One of the cabinet members who had accompanied the pair, cleared his throat and gave Saya a warning glance in response to her comment.

"It's like I have magic fingers when I'm playing the lap harp. The music I've created had brought not only women, but men to tears as they are filled with overwhelming emotions created by my melodies."

Saya, who happened to be very talented with the lap harp, was having a hard time holding her tongue at this point. "Amazing. We are sure you are very talented."

"Oh yes, but I don't like to brag, you know."

Saya gave an audible sigh.

"Are you alright, Naisshinou-sama?" Prince Obata asked.

"Hai, it's just all this sun is getting to us and we feel a bit tired from today's excitement. Won't you please excuse us until dinner?"

"It is often overwhelming to meet new people. I, of course, don't have any problems with the sunshine, but I expect females to be more affected. They do have a weaker constitution, wouldn't you say? However, I wouldn't want such a sturdy sort of wife anyway. I look forward to seeing you at dinner, my lady."

Saya gave a small bow and made her way towards her room. Prince Obata turned to the Cabinet member. "I think this is going rather splendidly. I'm sure the princess is already in love with me, I can tell these things. Unfortunately, I've had to break many-a-maiden's heart in the past, but it is time I settle down. No one but the Imperial Princess will do for me anyhow."

The older gentleman simply smiled and nodded his head, fully aware of the fact that Saya couldn't be more unimpressed. He himself was wondering how such a floundering idiot was even allowed to meet with her.

Dinner was no better; Prince Obata went on and on about how magnificent and spectacular he was. Anyone who attempted to speak was quickly cut off by the verbose prince's spew of self-compliments.

* * *

"Ojii-sama, you're kidding me, right? You and your cabinet surely couldn't have honestly picked out such a horrible candidate." The two of them sat alone in her grandfather's private office. Saya crossed her arms and stared at her grandfather who was sitting across from her gazing into the fire. Although she had no desire for a husband, she felt somewhat humiliated that someone as superficial and irritating as Obata had been considered to be a proper match.

"Well, we had heard rumors that he was…"

"A conceited idiot?"

"… That he was a little on the confident side."

"That's an understatment." Saya mumbled while she turned her gaze into the fire as well.

"Saya. I know better than anyone the responsibilities that the future holds for you and your spouse. I will be sure that the future prince is suitable. The one here tonight is not."

Saya nodded, glad that her grandfather agreed with her. At least this time went her way, but she also knew that the King and his advisors were going to look more closely at the candidates, meaning it was going to get harder for Saya to wriggle her way out of marriage. They wouldn't make such a blatant miscalculation again. While making her way back to her own quarters, Saya wondered how long she was going to be able to put off the inevitable.

* * *

Obata-sama was sent away the next morning. "I'm not really surprised that the princess wouldn't choose someone like me. I am rather intimidating, what with my good looks, impeccable manners, and radiant personality. I'm sure someone in her position couldn't stand to be outshone by her mate. What a shame, she is missing out on the best thing she could have ever had." He said when climbing into his coach.

Saya watched and smiled as his carriage and entourage disappeared into the distance and was happy for the distraction that the weekly report from the Gotei thirteen would allow. For some reason, Saya was especially eager to read this week's report and couldn't shake the anxious feeling she had while waiting for the messenger to arrive.

"Souta-kun, I knew you would be quick about it. Arigatou." Saya said as she took the large stack of papers from his hands.

Souta bowed and made to leave when Saya stoppd him. "You don't have to go so soon, Souta-kun. Besides, I want you to tell me what you saw and heard when you entered the Sereitei today."

"I have nothing to report on that, Saya-sama. I went to Central 46 to retrieve the report and then immediately came back here. If you wanted me to make a detour than you should have said so."

"You're right, you're right." Saya said absently while flipping to the section of the report that held information from the thirteenth division. It was Saya's habit to read it first, then news from the eighth division before going on to read the rest in chronological order.

Souta shook his head but made himself comfortable in a plush armchair near the fireplace. He had just closed his eyes when he heard Saya gasp and a loud thud from something hitting the floor. Souta jumped up and saw that Saya was kneeling on the floor with her hands clasped over her mouth, eyes wide with emotion.

"Saya-sama, are you alright?" Souta knelt down beside her, bringing her into an embrace.

Saya shook her head no. "I can't believe it." She whispered.

Souta grabbed the report that had fallen on the floor and read it out loud.

"Division thirteen is reporting the death of Shiba, Kaien-fukutaicho; third seat Shiba, Miyako, and several unranked members.

"Shiba, Miyako-san was sent with other members on a reconnaissance mission to gain information about a hollow that had caused several deaths within the protection squads and Rukongai. During this mission, Miyako-san was possessed by the hollow and subsequently killed members of her own squad.

"In order to avenge the death of his wife and comrades, Shiba-fukutaicho went to defeat the hollow, but in the end, he too became possessed. Ukitake-taicho first attempted to separate the hollow from his subordinate, but when no solution presented itself, Ukitake-taicho was left with no other choice than to attack the hollow. During this time, he suffered a fit and the hollow attempted to kill unranked squad member, Kuchiki, Rukia-sama. She impaled the possessed fukutaicho with her sword, which ultimately lead to the death of Shiba and the hollow that had possessed him."

Souta turned to look at Saya who had tears running down her face. Although he had rarely seen her cry before she had lost her memory, tears fell easily from her eyes these days. It was a surprise to him though, Saya had told him about Kaien many times and how he had been the first to help her train to become a shinigami.

"Saya-sama, I'm so sorry." He said while he laid the report to the side and took her into another embrace.

"Souta-kun, what will I lose next?" She said between heavy sobs. Souta stroked Saya's hair as she cried into his shoulder.

"Saya-sama, do not be so selfish. It is not only you who has lost someone so important. Surely it is his family and Kuchiki-sama who suffer the most, and Ukitake-san too. They are the ones that have lost a brother; Kuchiki is the one that took his life; and Juushiro is the one who could not save him. Are they not heavily burdened by these events? Besides, do not think of it as losing something; instead rejoice in the happy memories you had made together. That is a better way to send off Shiba-san, ne?"

Saya nodded as Souta wiped the tears from her cheeks. "You're right, Souta-kun."

"Would you like to skip our 'playing' tonight?"

"No. Kaien would have wanted me to continue to do things as normal. It's just… hard."

"It's never easy to lose someone, Saya-sama."

With those words, Saya felt shamed, even though Souta hadn't said them to chastise her. It was just that she understood a little more clearly how upset Souta had been when he lost her.

* * *

Gomennasai! Forgive me for taking soooooooooooooooooo very long to update. I know it is very unlike me to take this long and I do apologize. I have been very very busy lately. Work is starting to pick up (which is good for me, but bad for my writing) and I haven't had a free weekend since I last updated this story. I'm not joking! I've been in or to a few weddings, my grandmother's 75th birthday party, early Halloween party, bridal showers, etc. etc. So please, I am sorry for the wait.

I do hope that you enjoyed this chapter though! I won't lie and say it was an easy chapter to write! I had to leave and come back to it, and change and redo so many parts that it seemed like it might never get done. Plus, at some point I lost the "feel" of the chapter and had to start almost from scratch again. (I'll chalk it up to the busy-ness lately!) I'm also sorry that I haven't been keeping up on any of the stories that I have alerted. I have several chapters to catch up on myself!

I do thank all of my readers who have posted reviews and tagged this as a favorite or put it on your alerts. Of course, I ask you to take a few seconds to post a reply.

P.S. the title of this chapter "Bouyuu" actually means "deceased friend"


	36. Chapter 36: A small voice

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or anything that has to do with the Bleach franchise.

* * *

"I'm embarrassed." Saya whispered. She could feel the immense heat radiating off of her reddened cheeks as she turned her face away from Juushiro.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about, you're beautiful. I love you. I like seeing you this way and having you see me this way. Isn't it a nice thing to share together?"

Saya tried to turn away from the older man but had no success. He was sitting on her hips and had her hands pinned down by her sides.

"You seemed to enjoy it in the cave. And wasn't it you who tried to seduce me at your brother's house?" Juushiro whispered in her ear.

Since Saya couldn't physically get away from him, she decided to close her eyes tightly. "It's still embarrassing."

"Only because you're not used to being with me in this intimate way yet. That's why we should practice, so you won't feel insecure." He said as he nuzzled his nose behind her ear.

"Juushiro! You're being mean!"

A small chuckled escaped Juushiro's lips. "I'm sorry to tease you. But I only want you to relax and enjoy yourself. Don't you feel a little more at ease when I do this?"

Saya could feel Juushiro's warm breath on her jaw line. It sent shivers down her spine. His soft lips seemed to have an electricity in them that rushed throughout her entire body.

"Mmmm." Seemed to be the only thing that Saya could say.

Juushiro smiled against her skin. "What about when I do this?"

He lightly touched Saya's skin with his fingertips and teasingly caressed her from under her arm down to her hip and back again.

Saya nodded and enjoyed the light kisses and licks that Juushiro gave her on her collar bone, down to her chest, then to her navel, and…

"Hime-sama? Hime-sama wake up!"

Saya opened her eyes to see one of her hand maids staring above her with an apprehensive look on her face.

"Are you alright? You were moaning in your sleep I thought that you must have been having a nightmare."

_More like the most heavenly dream ever._ Saya sighed. "Uh, thank you. I'm fine."

"Good. You're breathing was getting very erratic."

Saya blushed a little. "I'm fine, thank you for your concern."

"His majesty has requested that you look your finest today. Another suitor is coming. Aren't you excited? This might be the one!" The maid's voice trilled with enthusiasm.

Saya frowned. One, she didn't want another suitor and two, she didn't feel like it was this maid's place to be speaking with her about such things.

"You are too bold, please hold your tongue." The words came out like ice.

The young maid paled and bowed quickly. "Forgive me, Saya-sama, it wasn't my place."

Saya sighed and made her way to the bath where three other maidens were waiting for her.

"Please come back in an hour, I wish to soak by myself for a while."

"Hai." They all chimed together and bowed before making their way out of her quarters.

_Thirty-five years and thirty-five suitors, it has been increasingly harder to convince my grandfather and the elders that none of the princes have been good enough for me. That pesky cabinet is starting to get fidgety. I wonder how many have caught on to my little scheme? Probably only a few, I know my grandfather has, so I'm lucky he hasn't made me marry one yet. Perhaps he is hoping that I do actually fall in love with one of these pompous jerks, he was actually loved my grandmother so he probably would like it to play a factor._

Saya stepped into the hot water and sunk into a bit of a daze. The steam felt good on her face and the water helped relieve her aching muscles. Souta had mentioned that he felt like Saya was getting stronger, and so their "play time" hadn't been so fun for her lately. He was slowly increasing his speed and the strength he used when they sparred, and it was hard for Saya to keep up. He had also be pressing harder with his reitsu, making it even more difficult for her to fight back.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes as she thought about another suitor coming for her that day. _I hope he's an outright idiot; I'm starting to run out of ideas on how to get rid of them._

Saya started to think about some of the less-than-desirable candidates she had to endure over the years. Of course the first one had set the standard, she was sure that no one could be as conceited as he was, and so far, she was right. Though many were bad in other ways.

Price Ryuga had been a major pervert and was constantly referring to how he was a master in the bedroom and that "Hime will scream out my name in pleasure over and over again." He had also had a bad tendency to lick his lips and touch himself a lot. However, it wasn't until after he had tried to grab Saya's chest while walking in the garden (luckily twenty highly trained body guards kept him from achieving this goal) that he was asked to leave. Ryuga-sama had lasted three hours and forty-seven minutes. Saya thought it was three hours and forty-six minutes too long.

Lord Kaneko, although well-mannered, polite, and personable, was about a foot shorter than Saya, making him less than five feet tall. Even Saya enjoyed his personality, but didn't like to stand upright while in his presence.

"My Lords, he is too short to be my husband."

"Do not let your vanity get in the way of a good match." One of the elders chastised.

"But think of his feelings. To have such a tall wife would be degrading to a man of his standing." Saya argued.

"If he thought so, then he wouldn't have come in the first place."

Saya eventually won the argument by saying that any children of his would probably be very small and might not be able to adequately protect the king with a tiny stature. "After all, every Saya has been tall with an athletic build to protect his majesty. It is important to think of the traditional look of Saya when considering appropriate mates."

Prince Kaga was another who had not been so fortunate when it came to physical attributes either. At least his manners were lacking. Kaga-sama didn't even seemed that interested in the fact that he could be marrying the imperial princess, he was more interested in what time dinner was to be served. The man was tall enough, but he was also a good 400 pounds. He ate everything in front of him and others as well. Kaga-sama even had the audacity to steal a bite off of the king's plate. That had made Saya smile when she realized that Kaga-sama would definitely not be welcome back into the palace.

One prince that was especially hard to get rid of was Prince Toda. He was very well bred, good mannered, incredibly good-looking, and appeared to be a perfect suitor for the princess.

"Hime-sama is too kind to allow me to be graced with her presence. I thank you." He said as he kissed her hand.

"I am sure Toda-sama is feeling very proud to be asked to the palace." Saya said back in an attempt to exploit his pride.

"Not at all, I am humbled by this request and I will try my best so as not to disgrace his majesty, yourself, or my family."

It took Saya two weeks of scheming before she was able to get him booted from the castle, but she finally managed to find his weakness. Luckily for her, she had overheard two castle maids talking about how he had harassed them in the night.

"And can you believe Aizawa-san? She was more that willing to give herself to that disgusting man! Disgraceful."

"I hope Saya-hime doesn't have to marry that awful man. I'd hate to think of the state of our poor staff if he were always accosting us in the halls at night."

"But the elders think highly of him and are already discussing wedding dates."

"Oh no! I can't stand to think of him around all the time."

Saya smiled inwardly when she and one of the cabinet members "accidentally" caught him with Aizawa-san in a delicate position. However, she did a good job of faking her disappointment and heartbreak so as to appear as if she really was hoping for a husband and that Toda-sama would fill the role.

Saya came out of her thoughts and lifted her hand out of the bath water and saw that it had become wrinkled, as if on cue the maids returned with fluffy towels and a bathing yukata. Allowing herself to be led to the vanity, Saya sat there for hours as the maids curled and pinned her hair, painted her face (only to be covered by a headdress) and dressed her in her finest garments.

* * *

"Pleased to meet you, Hime-sama, I am Oshiro Hideo." He bowed low before standing and giving Saya a warm smile.

She blushed. _What am I doing? Why do I feel nervous with this man? I'm being ridiculous. The goal is to exploit his weakness and get rid of him._

Oshiro-sama was incredibly attractive, some of his perfect features reminded Saya of Byakuya-sama, whom she considered beautiful. But Oshiro was different in that he was very warm, not cold and detached. He had dark brown hair and warm eyes that held a lot of wisdom and experience behind them. Saya could tell he was a bit older than she was, but not as old as her Aniki.

_Shunsui… Juushiro… This man is like a blend of you two. His hair is the color of Aniki's but straight like Juushiro's. His eyes too, are warm like the two of yours'. His voice is pleasing to the ears and his body language is inviting, not intimidating like so many others have been. NO! Saya, your job is to get rid of him._

"I am pleased to meet you as well, Oshiro-sama."

The two were led to one of the larger ponds within palace grounds where they were "left alone" to get better acquainted. Saya knew that at least twenty pairs of unseen eyes were watching them, and apparently Oshiro-sama realized this fact as well.

"It's awkward, isn't it? It must be hard for you." He said.

This statement caught Saya a little off guard. All the suitors in the past immediately started talking about how great they were, or how honored they were to be there, or how magnificent the palace was. No one, save for Oshiro-sama, had actually tried to understand her feelings.

"Excuse me?"

"Forgive me if I seem too forward, but I would think that being in a situation like this is difficult. It's hard to really get to know someone when there are several others watching from the shadows. It has to make one feel ill at ease. But perhaps you are used to it. I feel a bit… odd, however."

Saya laughed a little and Oshiro smiled back. "Ne, Oshiro-sama, it is a bit weird now that you mention it. But more than once I have needed them to come to my rescue. I am grateful that hidden eyes are watching."

"Come to your rescue?"

"Hai. Not every suitor has behaved respectfully."

"Is that so? Then I am very sorry, Hime-sama, I promise to be on my best behavior."

Saya nodded a little and smiled. She quickly turned it into a frown once she realized what she was doing and started to remind herself that this man was someone she disliked, not someone she wished to know better.

"Hime-sama, do you know how to skip stones?"

"Nani?"

"Skip stones, across the water. They bounce off the surface as they travel if you throw them at the right angle. It's all in the wrist."

Saya sat stiff as a board feeling dumbfounded. She couldn't help but think back to the very first time she had met Juushiro and he had shown her how to skip stones. _This man is here to torment me. He has the same warmth as Juushiro and I am feeling so comfortable around him. Just like I did with Juushiro. No, this man is nothing like the one I love. I will never love this person and I won't confuse the two. I only love one._

"Hime-sama, are you alright?"

Saya broke free from her thoughts. "Hai, this headdress can get rather warm and I get dazed from time to time. Um, a friend had taught me, a long time ago how to skip stones, but I'm not sure if I remember."

"Here, I'll help you remember." Oshiro said as he stood and offered his hand to Saya to help her up.

She hesitated for a moment and then accepted it, noticing how Oshiro didn't let go after she was up. Instead, he held on to her hand to lead her closer to the river.

"I wouldn't want you to slip and fall. I've heard rumors about the King's Guard and I do not wish to give them any excuse to use me as target practice." He joked as he helped Saya to the bank.

Saya chuckled and then quickly berated herself for enjoying his company.

"You have a very pretty laugh, Hime-sama. I will work hard to make you laugh as much as I can while I am a guest here in the palace."

The heat rose to her cheeks and Saya was thankful for the headdress. "Ari… Arigatou."

They spent the next hour skipping stones over the pond and pointing out all of the beautiful koi that were swimming near the surface. Saya learned that Oshiro-sama was a talented swordsman, considered one of the best in the king's realm.

"I heard that there is a king's assassin whose sword skill is quite impressive, even when he fights without his initial release."

"Is that so? Do you know his name, Oshiro-sama?" Saya asked, trying to guess which one of the guard it might be.

"Of course no one knows his real name, but he goes by the name of 'Ichijin.' But he's assumed dead, since no one has seen or heard of him in years."

Saya sat quite for a moment while she processed this. "..... I see."

"I would like to fight Ichijin myself someday. I wouldn't want to truly battle him, but to test my skill against someone as renowned as him would be an honor. Otherwise, I don't care much for fighting, even though I am the general of my father's armies. I'd rather read a good poem and enjoy the peace. But I will always fight when I am called to do so."

"I've heard Oshiro-sama is a very wise leader on the battlefield." _And very much like my brother... and..._

"It is because I have good men following me. They work hard and always give their best. We are all honored to be apart of His Majesty's armies."

_He doesn't take all the credit? I've never met such a prince._

* * *

Dinner had gone well. Oshiro's manners were refined, but he wasn't the least bit stuffy. Saya couldn't bring herself to try and trick him into showing his bad side, but knew that the royal cabinet would do their best to make him slip up. They too wanted a perfect match for Saya. While observing him, Saya realized that he really was a genuine person. Like Juushiro.

_Stop it! Oh, Hanryo… I really really want to talk to you right now. I want to hear your voice._

_"But you don't listen hard enough."_

Saya dropped her chopsticks which clattered noisily on the table.

"Hime-sama, are you alright?"

The headdress did a good job in covering Saya's face, she could tell it would look like she had just suffered from some sort of jolt.

"Gomen." She said in her elegant tone. "I've grown tired from the excitement of the day. Please excuse me." All the occupants of the hall rose and bowed as Saya made her way towards the exit. She was stopped as her grandfather grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her close.

"Saya, are you alright?" He whispered, no one other than she would be able to hear him.

"Hai, ojii-sama, I am fine. Just feeling a bit tired. I promise you, everything is alright."

He let her go and she continued out of the dining hall, but once she was out of eyesight and earshot, she took off in a sprint towards her quarters.

Slamming the door behind her, Saya tore off her headdress and closed her eyes.

_"Hanryo, is it you? Did I really hear you speak?"_

Nothing.

_"Hanryo?"_

Nothing.

_"Kamikaze!?"_

Nothing.

Saya's clenched her fist and growled to herself when she heard nothing. _It was a barely audible, not more than I whisper, but I know Hanryo was able to push through somehow. I must train harder, I must focus. Please wait for me, Hanryo. I promise to hear you loud and clear!_

* * *

It was late enough that most of the palace would be asleep as Saya changed into a fitted black kimono top with a fitted pair of pants and knee-high boots. It was her usual "play" gear when she met with Souta. She would tell him to push her harder so that she could get stronger; strong enough to hear Kamikaze's voice once again.

Sneaking out of the palace was easy for her, even though Saya didn't have any of her shinigami powers. This place had been her home for a long time and she knew it better than most others. So Saya didn't think that she would need to cover her face when she left her room, but after a few twists and turns she ran smack into Oshiro-sama.

"Are you alright?" He asked as he helped the fallen girl off of her bottom and back onto her feet.

"Hai, forgive me sir, it is my fault." Saya bowed low, and hoped that he would think she was a maid in the palace. Or just any kind of palace worker for that matter.

"Are you a member of the guard?" He asked.

"Um…"

"Oh, I see. You don't have your mask on. Don't worry, I'll pretend to have never have seen your face. Besides, it's because of today that I can't sleep. So much to think about."

"Arigatou."

"You do a very good job of hiding your reitsu, I'm very impressed."

"Ari..gatou." Saya knew it was all due to the bracelet. "Forgive me sir, but I haven't seen you around here before. Could you please identify yourself, for safety purposes."

"Of course. I am Oshiro Hideo."

"Oh, you're here to court the imperial princess."

He blushed a little and suddenly became interested in looking out the windows. Saya stared at his pink cheeks and realized that he must actually like her too.

_Too? No, not too. He simply likes me. I feel nothing for him._

"If you'll excuse me, sir. I appreciate your discretion."

"Of course. I saw nothing except the stars this night."

Saya bowed low again and started running off to meet Souta.

_If a mere body guard is that beautiful, then the imperial princess herself must be most stunning._ Oshiro thought as he continued to think about his day with the princess. _She seemed to enjoy my company as well. _A genuine smile spread across his features as he continued his nightly stroll.

* * *

"Good sake, with a good friend. Does it get any better than this?" Shunsui asked as he poured Juushiro another cupful.

"To good friends." Juushiro raised his cup in the air to toast. He and Shunsui were in one of the private rooms of a local shinigami pub. It was a common place for soldiers of all ranks to go and relax after a trying week at work.

"How did you manage to get away from your two third seats to get here by yourself?" Shunsui asked as he took a slow sip.

"I sent them off on an errand and then snuck out. They may be a bit overbearing, but they're harmless. It's just their way of caring."

"They admire you very much. But you have to admit they're a headache. But sometimes I envy you. I'd love it if my Nanao-chan was so worried about me from time to time."

Juushiro smiled. Nanao did worry over Shunsui, she just showed it in a different way. Shunsui was very well aware of this fact too, but still liked to pretend otherwise.

"You've taken a liking to that Hitsugaya-kun, ne Juushiro? Weren't you shoving sweets in his face earlier today after the captain's meeting?"

"He's just a kid and besides, we both have white hair. We're both 'Shiros.'"

Shunsui chuckled and swished his sake around in his cup.

"You're staring again, Juushiro."

"Am I?"

"I'll just give it to you, if you want it."

"I don't want it. Besides, Saya gave it to you. It's just that I can't help but think of her whenever I see you wear that hair ribbon. It was her favorite. A cherished gift from her Aniki."

Shunsui nodded. Juushiro didn't talk about Saya as much as the years passed, but Shunsui knew it didn't mean that he didn't think of her. Thirty-five years had passed and Shunsui knew that Juushiro loved her just the same as the day she left. Shunsui still cared about Saya as well. That was the reason why he wore the hair ribbon everyday. If by chance they would meet, then he would have it readily available to give back to her, so that she would know that he still thought of her as his Imouto.

"What do you think she's doing now?" Juushiro asked, his voice a little distant. Shunsui looked up to see that Juushiro was staring out of the window; his body was in the pub but his mind was far away.

"I'm sure she's fine, Juushiro."

He nodded, remembering her promise to him. _"No other man." That's what she said so many times to me. I want her to be happy, wherever she is, but I can't help but want her to keep that promise._

* * *

A special thank you to cheekyhalf-demon, HaloteveCV, rukia23, sorrycharlie, firewaterearthwind, ms. dragon, i heart bleach, fefisgbf13, cara-mae-chan, and yrenne for taking the time to post a review. I truly appreciate it, especially after such a long time for posting, it was nice to get that support! I don't think that I'll be posting every week like I was able to for so long, but I promise to do my best to not take over a month again! But maybe count on a week and a half to two weeks from now on.

Okay... so if my calculations are correct, we are now about five years before the official Bleach timeline. Yes, big time jump... you know I love to do that.

I would very much appreciate it if you took the time to review! Thank you so much!


	37. Chapter 37: Chu Noh Mai

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or anything that has to do with the Bleach franchise.

* * *

"Saya-sama, you are definitely getting stronger. You actually managed to hit me three times tonight."

Saya glared at Souta. "I can't help it; I'm limited!" She held up her right wrist to show the lethality stone bracelet gleaming in the moonlight.

"I meant it as a compliment, Saya-sama." Souta said as a small chuckle escaped him.

"I know, it's just… It's just frustrating." Saya crossed her arms and leaned against a tree for support.

Souta picked up the practice swords and sat beside her, both of them looked at the moonlight. "It's nice for me, to be able to help Saya-sama. You were always the strong one, helping me with my skills. I am happy to return the favor."

Saya raised an eyebrow in Souta's direction while her faced hardened.

"Well, I didn't mean that I liked the circumstances in which I get to help you." Souta said quickly as he scratched the back of his neck. _She can give the coldest looks. I have goosebumps._

Saya sighed. "I know what you mean, Souta-kun. Arigatou." Her voice was a little flat. It had been a month since she had heard Kamikaze's voice and even with increasing her training and meditation, Saya hadn't been able to break through that boundary again.

_Why is it so difficult? How did I manage to do it before? I so badly want to hear his voice again._

Souta looked at his mistress, clearly deep in her own thoughts and smiled. He was happy to be by her side again, to fulfill the promise they had made to one another. Lately, she had seemed more determined, not to mention, Saya also seemed happier than she had for a long time.

"Saya-sama, will you be spending the day with Oshiro-sama again?"

"Hai, as long as he is a guest at this palace then I must entertain him. It is my duty, remember?" She said. Saya didn't bother to look at Souta, still engrossed in the full moon.

"Will be you dancing for him?"

"What?"

"I heard that you will be dancing for him tomorrow."

"No, later this week." Saya said. "It's been a long time since I've danced."

"I remember sneaking in to watch you perform for the king's guests. I was so young then, but I always thought you were so beautiful. Your face was painted and your blue eyes seemed to shine even more brightly because of it. I remember that it was the only time you could be around guests without a headdress on. Your movements were always so graceful and elegant; such a contrast to your fighting. Well, you're a graceful warrior, but when you dance you're so delicate, like a precious cherry blossom that is easily blown down by a gust of wind."

"Ne, Souta-kun! I didn't realize you had such an eye for the art of dancing."

Souta blushed and turned his face away from Saya who had turned to look at him with a mischievous smile on her face.

"Shall I dance for you, Souta-kun?"

"No, Saya-sama, it is too much. The imperial princess should only ever dance for…"

"Be quiet. Souta-kun is one of my most important persons. I would rather dance for you than for the entire royal hall. Besides, it will be a way for me to thank you for working so hard to help me get stronger."

Souta blushed an even deeper red. "There… there is no music."

"I do not need any music." Saya said as she stood up and reached for her fan. She was accustomed to always carrying one anymore.

She stood ten feet in front of Souta with a large lake being her backdrop. Souta couldn't help but think how beautiful she looked with the moon shining brightly off the surface of the water behind her. With the fan in front of her face, Saya got into position. She started by slowing lowering the fan and taking it across her body before raising her arm in the air and snapping it shut. Her other hand, poised delicately began to move and her fingers waved delicately as she brought her other arm up above her head as well.

"There is a flower in the East,

Her petals beyond compare,

Though she seems delicate and easily bruised,

In that illusion lays her snare.

"Just once if you happen to see,

Her petals as pure as snow,

Any man will fall for her,

But Hell is the only place he'll go.

"Her beauty turns a good man bad,

All their thoughts turn to greed,

Consuming her becomes their only goal,

Destruction lies in the path of their need."

As she sang, Saya twirled on the balls of her feet, while moving her arms gracefully, as if she was painting a picture with the wind. Her slender fingers of her left hand always poised in a poetic softness while she worked the fan with an artistic grace.

"There is a flower in the East,

Her petals beyond compare,

Though she seems delicate and easily bruised,

In that illusion lays her snare."

Saya jumped and twirled while the fan whipped around her. She ended with a low bow and then covered her face with her fan.

Souta smiled and clapped. "Arigatou, Saya-sama. You are a beautiful dancer as ever. Oshiro-sama will be pleased."

Saya smiled lightly. "Thank you, Souta-kun. We should head back; it's late."

* * *

Saya watched as Oshiro practiced his archery. He was a very good marksman and hit the middle of the target on almost every shot.

"Oshiro-sama, you are very skilled." Saya said from her spot on a blanket. A servant held a parasol over her to shade her from the sun.

"Thank you, Hime-sama. My father taught me. We will often go hunting together, of course, archery skills are important in combat as well." Oshiro shot another arrow. "Would Hime-sama like to try?"

"Try what?"

A small chuckle escaped from his lips. "Shooting with the bow."

"I don't believe I've ever shot an arrow before." Saya said as she searched through her memories. It had been several years since her last memory had resurfaced. They seemed to be highly connected to Kamikaze, and without access to him, they dwindled until no more had come back to her.

"I will help you." Oshiro said as he walked over to Saya and held out his hand. She never hesitated anymore when he did that, and quickly took it.

He positioned her stance and then carefully helped her grab the bow. "You want to hold to it right here… good. Don't worry, I will help you." He wrapped his strong fingers around hers and brought the bow up.

Saya's heart started beating faster.

"Then you place the arrow like so… and pull back on the string here."

Again, Oshiro wrapped his fingers around Saya's to help her with the taught string and pulled the arrow. Saya could hear the beating of her heart clearly and hoped that she was the only one who could.

"Then aim and release."

Saya watched as the arrow flew and hit the center of the target. "Look, we did it." She said, the excitement clearly shining through her voice.

"Hai." Oshiro said with a smile. "Do you want to try it by yourself?"

Saya nodded and took an arrow. She was a bit clumsy with it, but Oshiro helped her get it into position. The string was hard and stiff, but eventually Saya was able to pull it back far enough before releasing. The arrow hit the corner of the target.

"It looks like I am not so good by myself." Saya wasn't upset with her poor performance; she was still smiling widely under her headdress.

"Perhaps with a bit of practice, Hime-sama would be very good at archery. I think you will need a bow better suited for your frame, however."

Saya nodded. "May I watch the remainder of your training, Oshiro-sama?"

"Of course, I am always happy when Saya-sama is around." Oshiro blushed wildly after speaking his thoughts. It was obvious he had said more than he wanted.

Saya couldn't help but giggle a little at his embarrassed face. "I am pleased to hear that."

Saya sat there and watched as Oshiro continued to hit the mark shot after shot. It came as a surprise to her that she felt so comfortable around him and actually desired to be in his presence. However, this did not come without feelings of guilt. Saya was always aware of the promise she had made to Juushiro, it was always in the back of her mind, nagging at her. But the likelihood of seeing Juushiro again was slim to none. Even Souta had argued this point, saying that Juushiro would want her to be happy, even if it wasn't with him. Saya found herself slowly growing more attached to Oshiro, fighting it at first, but now accepting it.

_It doesn't mean I love Juushiro any less. I will always belong to him, ne? I just don't know what to do. Oshiro-sama is a good man, I don't want to hurt him either._

Saya started to take a sip of water that her servant had given her.

_"Saya-sama, you cannot have it both ways."_

Saya gasped and dropped her cup, spilling it on her lap and blanket.

_"Kamikaze?! Is it you?" _Saya asked after hearing the distant voice of her friend, her partner, her soul. He seemed to be teasing her and could almost see his smirking face.

"Hime-sama, are you alright?"

Saya wasn't paying attention; she was straining to hear Hanryo's voice again.

_"You're getting stronger, Saya-sama. But not quite strong enough…"_

His voice faded.

"Hanryo?" Saya whispered.

"Hime-sama, are you alright? Did something happen?" Oshiro was kneeling in front of her.

Saya looked up into his eyes, they were filled with concern.

"Sorry to cause you worry. I am fine. I will go inside and rest now."

"Let me escort you, Hime-sama."

"No need, I wouldn't want to bring you more trouble. Please, I'm fine."

A masked figured suddenly appeared behind Oshiro and bowed to both of them. "I will escort the lady, if you don't mind, Oshiro-sama."

"Thank you." Oshiro said and looked back at Saya who nodded, knowing it was Souta underneath the mask, even if he was distorting his voice slightly.

* * *

"We must train harder, Souta-kun." Saya whispered as they entered the palace. "I'm starting to hear his voice."

Souta stiffened a little but nodded. "Hai."

* * *

Two days had passed and Saya was standing in front of an old man who was currently trying to calm after he had to deliver some upsetting news.

"What do you mean another suitor is coming today? Oshiro-sama is still here. It is rude to him to allow someone else. Besides, we thought that only one suitor was to come a year."

"Please excuse my mistake, Naishinnou-sama. I had accidentally arranged for Nagasaku-sama to come at this time as well. It will be rude to turn him away." The king's secretary bowed low to Saya as sweat dripped off his brow.

"We don't care if it's rude. Turn him away." Saya said.

"Go… gomen. His majesty the king has told us to accept him when he arrives. There is nothing I can do."

Saya glared at the man bowed before her, an icy aura surrounded her.

"Forgive me for interrupting, Saya-sama, but his majesty has sent us to help you get ready. You will be dancing for Oshiro-sama and Nagasaku-sama." A maid-servant bowed low, she too trembled from Saya's cold demeanor, even though it wasn't directed at her.

Saya turned and returned to her room without saying anything. The air around her said it all.

She sat there as the young maidens painted her face, but she was unable to concentrate on anything other than her frustration.

_This is ridiculous. I don't want to have to entertain another suitor. One is bad enough, but two? And at the same time? Simply unreasonable. That secretary will pay for this mistake. Who is this Nagasaku anyway?_

_"I thought that Saya-sama liked Oshiro-sama."_

_"I do but… I mean, I love Juushiro."_

_"But earlier today were you not imagining yourself with Oshiro? Aren't you upset now, not because this new suitor is an infringement upon your pretty taicho, but upon your new prince?"_

_"I… I don't know, it's all very confusing… HANRYO! Hanryo!"_ Saya did her best not to let her excitement shine through while so many people were surrounding her. _"Ne, Hanryo, I didn't even realize you were talking to me at first! I miss you so much, I want to hear your voice all the time. Please don't disappear again."_

_"It's hard, I won't be able to talk to you much longer. Keep training and we will break through together. Remember, even if you can't hear me, I am always with you…."_ His voice died out again.

_"Kamikaze?"_ Saya sighed when she realized that was all she was going to hear from her beloved friend at that moment.

"You're ready, Hime-sama."

Saya looked at herself in the mirror. The girl who looked back at her was completely unrecognizable. If they hadn't shared the exact same shade of blue eyes, Saya would have argued that it was someone else she was looking at. But even with her face painted like a Noh Mai mask, her beauty was all her own.

Saya took a deep breath and stood up so that she could be dressed in her flamboyant costume befitting the dance of a noble woman.

* * *

"Naishinnou-sama will now perform a Chu Noh Mai for our honored guests." His Majesty said.

The great hall quieted as Saya made her way into the room, all eyes admiring her as she walked gracefully into the middle of the floor and took her stance. The flutes and drums began to play at a moderate pace as Saya began to move from one form to the next with elegant and fluid motions. Her flamboyant robes fluttered around her as she twirled and bounced as she performed complicated footwork.

She couldn't help but sneak a peek or two at Oshiro-sama. He seemed utterly consumed by her movements and this made her extremely happy to please him. She was grateful that the heavy paint on her face would cover up any evidence of blushing as the heat rose to her cheeks. She pretended that no other person was in the room, and that she was dancing only for him. However, sadness started to set in as she realized she had never danced for Juushiro in this way. There had been occasions where they had danced together, but for him to see her like this… it would be pure bliss.

As the music started to slow Saya finished her dance and bowed to the court.

"Naishinnou-sama, that was a lovely performance. Your dancing is as elegant as ever."

"Arigato, Your Majesty. We are happy you are pleased." She said as she bowed again towards her grandfather.

"His Majesty must be pleased to have such a delicate granddaughter. Such a fine flower she is."

Saya turned her head and saw an unfamiliar person staring back at her. She didn't like the look in his eye as he stared back; it made her feel uncomfortable, and oddly exposed.

"Hime-sama, this is Prince Nagasaku Riku. He is another vying for your hand."

She bowed. "We are pleased to meet Nagasaku-sama."

"I am pleased to finally meet you as well." He said with a slight bow, but his eyes bore through her. "Are you going to join us for dinner?"

"Hai, Nagasaku-sama."

"Please have a seat by me. I would like to come to know you better."

Saya looked towards her grandfather, hoping that he would have her sit next to him instead. But no such luck. He nodded and so Saya was sat beside Riku. As she took her seat, she couldn't help but notice the suspicious look on Oshiro's face.

Sitting beside Nagasaku was even more uncomfortable. She felt anxious to be so close, but he didn't seem to notice, or care if he did notice. Taking the first opportunity to excuse herself, Saya left the grand hall and made her way out to one of the many gardens.

_"Princess… you will be mine no matter what I must do. I will make it so you only see me."_ Nagasaku thought as he watched Saya's retreating figure.

Finding a spot next to a small koi pond, Saya sat down and concentrated on calming her breathing. She had been so uncomfortable all night and was finally able to find a sense of relief after being away from that man's presence. She had been there only a few minutes when she heard a familiar voice.

"Are you alright, Hime-sama?"

Saya turned her head towards the comforting voice.

"Oshiro-sama, hai, I'm fine."

"You didn't seem fine during dinner."

"Didn't I?" Saya said weakly as she turned her attention back to the pond.

Oshiro sat beside her. "I don't like the way he looks at you. As if you're some to seize, to dominate."

"I… I don't like it either." Saya whispered. For the first time in a long time, Saya felt weak. She wanted the feeling of her brother's strong arms wrapped around her so that she would feel safe. Or Juushiro's arms embracing her and giving her warmth and comfort.

Oshiro looked at Saya and saw her trembling slightly. _What an unpleasant sort of man to make her feel this way._ Without thinking, Oshiro wrapped his arms around Saya. He felt her stiffen at first, but didn't let go, and soon she relaxed in his arms. "I would never treat you like you were something I owned. Please don't let that man affect you so; I will protect you from anything that brings you sadness or fear."

Saya felt calmed by his embrace and reassured by his words. He meant them. "Arigatou, I believe you." Saya removed his arms from around her. "It's not that I didn't enjoy your embrace, but it would cause a scandal if someone were to see us like that. Especially with Nagasaku-sama here."

"Hai, I understand." Oshiro sighed and looked at the moon. "I very much enjoyed your dance. You were so graceful and elegant, far from the clumsy girl with a bow in her hands."

Saya chuckled a bit at his teasing.

"Plus, I was happy to see your face."

Saya looked up at him, a little confused.

"You always have it covered. Even though it's painted now, I can the beauty of your features beneath, and I can see the color of your eyes. I didn't know there was a color that matched the bright sky so perfectly."

Saya felt the heat rising and turned her face away. "Ari… arigatou."

When she turned back she saw Oshiro-sama smiling at her. His eyes were genuine and kind, not possessive.

"I am glad too." She said.

* * *

"What are you doing, Juushiro? You might catch a cold if you don't cover up some." Shunsui said as he approached his friend.

Juushiro was lying on the shore by his lake, gazing up at the moon and stars. "I was admiring the night. The moon is beautiful, look how its light dances on top of the water."

"Beautiful indeed." Shunsui sat beside him and started to pull out the sake bottle and two saucers he had hidden in the folds of his haori.

Juushiro looked at his hair ribbon and thought of Saya's blue eyes.

"I think Kuchiki is getting stronger, though Byakuya won't allow her to be promoted." Ukitake said.

"Hmmm… even though you wouldn't think it, he does actually care for his adopted sister."

Juushiro nodded his head. "I think she'll be ready to be sent to the real world for a short stay within the next few years. It would do her some good to have that sort of training."

"You mean it would be good for her to be out of from underneath Byakuya's thumb for a while, ne? She doesn't talk to many of her friends she had from before she was adopted. Well, he was her best friend I hear. That red-headed guy with all the tattoos."

"He's under Zaraki." Ukitake said. "I wonder why he has so many tattoos?"

"Hhmmm…" Shunsui took a long sip of sake. "Things have been quiet in Sereitei for a long time. Sometimes I get the feeling that we've become too slack in this time of peace."

"What makes you say these things, Shunsui?" Juushiro turned to look at his friend.

"Oh nothing. I'm just an old man going on about nothing."

"Hmmm… don't say such things and jinx us, Shunsui. It is good that it has been peaceful for so long. The incident almost a hundred years ago really shook things up for awhile. So many good captains and officers were lost. Be grateful that nothing has happened like that again."

Shunsui nodded as he laughed at himself, knowing times of peace were precious, yet here he was worrying that something would upset it. He took another sip of sake. _Saya, are you peaceful right now?_

* * *

A big huge thanks to: cheeky half-demon, ms. dragon, cara-mae-chan, rukia23, fefisbgf13, sorry charlie, i heart bleach, and anonymous for posting your reviews. I really appreciate it so so so so much! ^_^

I wanted to note real quick, the dance Saya performed, Chu Noh Mai, is a traditional japanese dance usually performed by a female. I think it basically means that it's neither fast or slow, but the movements are supposed to be very elegant. Usually a Noh mask is worn, but instead I decided to have Saya's face painted, so her identity is still safe from the visitors, but she didn't have to be "covered" this time. Oh, usually this dance is performed by stage actors.... but eh, it's my story so I'll do what I want with it!

I also wanted to ask you all to be patient with the Saya/Juushiro thing.... we'll see what happens... remember when I said I can see the end in sight? Yeah, I still drag everything out so we have some chapters to go before it's the end end.

Please take some time to post your comments and reviews. I appreciate them very much.

Thank you!


	38. Chapter 38: Dragged Back

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or anything that has to do with the Bleach franchise.

* * *

"Hime-sama, you have been called to entertain Oshiro-sama and Nagasaku-sama in the main gardens. We will help you with your headdress and kimonos."

Saya gave a heavy sigh. She hadn't wanted to be disturbed, wishing to stay in bed all day. But she knew that this had been a request from her grandfather and despite Saya's desire to ignore it, she knew better than to do such a foolish thing.

"Very well then. Please help me get ready."

* * *

Saya had just finished plucking the last note on her lap harp and bowed to her suitors. It didn't take long for Riku to start saying something.

"Ne, Hime-sama, are we ever going to see your face? Or even learn your true name? It would be nice to call you something a little more intimate than 'Hime-sama' or 'naishinnou' all of the time." Nagasaku-sama stared intently at Saya with that look that chilled her.

Saya set her lap harp to the side, using it as a chance to calm herself before she had to answer. "We do not make the rules, Nagasaku-sama. Only my husband will see my face and know my name."

"Please, call me 'Riku.' Must we be so formal after such a long time?"

Saya let out a soft sigh. It had been over a year since the two of them had come to stay at the palace. The fact that one of them hadn't been chosen as a companion for Saya was odd. But she knew the reasons. It was because both were almost evenly matched. The two of them came from good breeding, both were excellent on the battlefield, and they were extremely well mannered. It seemed that only Saya and Oshiro were aware of the possessive qualities that Nagasaku seemed to exhibit in more private settings.

Furthermore, the reason it had taken so long is because Saya was still reluctant to choose a husband. Her feelings had continued to grow for Oshiro over the year, but she thought about her promise to Juushiro everyday. So even though Saya disliked Nagasaku-sama, it allowed her to prolong the inevitable for a bit longer.

"Nagasaku-sama, it would be rude to force the princess to be more intimate if she is not ready for it." Oshiro said, his tone a little coarse. Saya knew it was because he probably disliked Riku more than she did.

Riku shot back a glare at Hideo before answering. "Hai. I would never intend to make Hime-sama uncomfortable."

Saya let out another small sigh. The rivalry between them had become immense during their time at the palace. So many times Nagasaku had challenged Oshiro to a "friendly swordplay" match, and each time the palace healers had to mend serious wounds inflicted by each other. Both of them were clearly trying to win against the other, but it brought everyone back to the same problem: evenly matched.

"If you two no longer require our…" Saya began to say but was quickly interrupted by Nagasaku.

"Please, Hime-sama, we would love if you would stay for a little longer. Wouldn't we, Oshiro?"

Saya couldn't help but notice that Riku had purprosely left off an honorific at the end of Oshiro's name, but was happy that he didn't get so easily upset about such small things.

"Of course we would be honored."

Saya nodded and then motioned for one of the butlers to bring her a parasol to shade her from the sun. _It's going to be a long afternoon. _She thought.

* * *

"No! I said that I would get the hot packs for the captain!"

"You don't have to yell! The captain is feeling sick!"

"Maybe he wouldn't feel so bad if you knew how to keep you big ugly voice down!"

"You're the one with the big ugly voice!"

Juushiro sighed as he listened to his Kiyone and Sentarou arguing in the other room. Falling sick at work, Juushiro was using the small private room attached to the offices to rest. His attack was too harsh to make it back to his small cottage on the water. Although he truly appreciated the attachment his two third-seats had to him, it seemed to cause a lot of trouble when he actually needed help. If his lungs had been strong enough in that moment, he would have asked them to stop fighting, but he had to lie there silently and hope they would figure it out for themselves.

He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on breathing without provoking another attack. Juushiro hated how it felt, like his body was drowning on dry land. His lungs would burn and his chest muscles would constrict painfully in an attempt to eject the scarlet liquid. He allowed himself a slight smirk when he thought about the irony of his situation. The body needed blood to survive, but the blood that filled his lungs would bring his death.

Juushiro opened his eyes when he felt the familiar comfort of a strong reitsu heading his way.

"Hey there Kiyone, Sentarou. Why don't you two go keep an eye on the squad? I'm sure that's the best way to help your captain." Shunsui said. Juushiro could hear him grabbing the hot packs and the two arguing voices slowly grew more distant as they left to follow Shunsui's suggestion.

"How are you old friend?" Shunsui asked as he opened the door.

Juushiro gave a small smile.

"That bad, eh? Well, I'll be here if you need me. I'll just lean against this corner though and take a nap. Don't worry about waking me up, your coughing will do it for you." Shunsui gave a little chuckle as he watched Juushiro smile and close his eyes again.

Shunsui pulled his straw hat over his eyes and situated himself in the corner of Juushiro's room for a nap of his own.

* * *

_"Saya-sama, watch yourself. Souta's going to flash and try to take you by surprise from your left."_

_"Hai."_

Saya spun and blocked Souta just as he was about to hit her left side. She then side stepped and countered his attack with one of her own.

"Good job, Saya-sama! I think it's safe to call it a night. You need to get more sleep anyway. You're looking more and more worn out by the day. It's because you aren't taking care of yourself. I can tell you've lost weight too. Now that you can hear and use Kamikaze's powers again, you haven't been eating any more than usual. If you don't get some extra food in you, you'll start getting weaker again."

"I know, Souta-kun, but if I suddenly begin eating more then people will start getting suspicious. I'm not supposed to have _any_ of my spiritual power, remember? Only people who possess and use their reitsu get hungry."

"Well, at least sneak some extra here and there."

_"He's right Saya-sama. If you would eat more, then you would be able to hear me all of the time, not just when you're training. And that's why you've been training longer and harder isn't it? So that you can talk to me?"_

Saya nodded in answer to both of them. "I promise to eat more."

Saya and Souta sat by the small lake and looked up at the moon and stars. "Souta-kun, why is that I can hear Hanryo again? I thought that this bracelet was made specifically to suppress his power?"

"Yes, but you were also ordered not to train, remember? A bracelet like that can only be made for a specific power level. Only a few people know that you can actually train and "outpower" a suppression bracelet that's specific to your reitsu. Since most people are unaware of this, they cease their training and become weaker. You are at a different level now than you were almost forty years ago. So the bracelet is not able to fully suppress your reitsu anymore, although it doesn't allow you the full extent of your powers by any means. It also keeps you from gaining power quicker than normally."

Saya nodded. She had to be careful to cloak any strength she gained. Ever since she'd been brought back to the king's realm, she had to walk a fine line of obedience. If it was found out that she had been secretly training, and that Souta was the one helping her, they both would be severely punished.

* * *

Nagasaku, not being able to sleep well, decided to explore the castle grounds. The woods that lied behind the castle seemed the most inviting that night. He tucked his zanpakuto at his side and strolled at a leisurely pace to his destination.

_Damn that Oshiro. If he wasn't here then I would already have the princess all to myself. But I can't outright kill him either. And unfortunately the princess seems to have taken a liking to him, but she's not chosen him for her partner either… so there must be some doubt in her mind. I'm sure she secretly pines for me. How could she not want me over that idiot? He's at least 100 years too old for her anyway._

Nagasaku stuck on that train of thought for awhile, not realizing how far into the forest he had already walked.

_Where am I? I should probably head back… Who do I hear talking? That voice sounds like…_

Riku quickly cloaked the remainder of his reitsu. Since the voices weren't getting any closer he assumed that he had gone unnoticed.

_Whoever it is must not be worried about people finding them out this far in the forest. But I swear that voice belongs to hime-sama._ Nagasaku edged his way towards a clearing where he saw two people facing the lake and talking. He saw the profile of a blonde-haired girl with beautiful features, but from the angle he was at, he couldn't make out the man who was sitting beside her.

_She's beautiful…_ He thought as he made his way closer to hear their conversation.

"Saya-sama, what about Nagasaku-sama and Oshiro-sama. You still haven't made a choice?"

Riku's eyes widened. It was the princess! She was sitting there, so close, her beauty exposed to him. _Saya? Did he just call her Saya? That's her name… Who is this person and how is he so intimate with her? It's not Oshiro at least._

"No. It's hard for me to make up my mind…"

Riku went rigid. He promised himself to make the princess see no one but him. Her eyes should only look at him and her thoughts should only be about him. How could she have any doubt when he had none? Especially now that he saw how desirable she was under her veils, he was going to make sure that she belonged to no one else.

"… But I made a promise to _him_ when I was in the Sereitei. I promised myself to only _him. _Though I'm not sure how I am to keep this promise. The king and cabinet will surely force me to marry. But even though I'll never see him again, I don't want to break my word."

Nagasaku's eyes narrowed. She loved someone other than himself or Oshiro? All this time Riku had assumed that Oshiro was his opponent and he had been wrong. It was this unknown man from the Sereitei that was his true adversary. The tricky part was going to be finding out who he was, and how Nagasaku could kill him.

_If I get rid of that man, then Saya will choose me since there won't be any reason to keep that stupid promise of hers._

"Let's go, Saya-sama. You need to get your rest."

Riku waited for Saya and the young man that was with her to leave before he moved from his spot. He didn't want to risk being caught. Even though Nagasaku was a suitor, if he was believed to be spying on the princess, or if it was found out that he knew what she looked like, he would be severely punished. The royals were careful to keep their faces hidden from anyone not within their close circle. A lot of the palace staff hadn't even seen the faces of their lords and ladies.

A small smirk spread across Nagasaku's face. "You _will_ belong to me, Saya."

* * *

"Both are fine men, gentlemen. We cannot choose." Saya repeated herself for the umpteenth time.

"That is a poor excuse. It is rude to keep both of them waiting so long."

"The chairman is right, Hime-sama, you must choose between the two or we will do it for you."

"But it is rude to choose one when both are so well suited to be our husband." Saya said again. "Perhaps given a little more time, one will prove himself more worthy than the other?"

The cabinet and king discussed this matter among themselves for a few minutes before His Majesty spoke.

"Saya-naishinnou, we will allow them both more time to prove their worth. But once one man has shown himself to be more suitable than the other, you must promise to marry."

Saya sat as still as possible while she looked blankly back at the men in front of her. She didn't have to fight so hard to keep her emotions from showing anymore, it seemed more natural than ever to keep her face like an icy mask. However, she clearly recognized her grandfather's ultimatum. She knew the time would come when he wouldn't allow her to postpone her marriage any longer.

Saya took a deep breath and tried her best to stay composed. "We will marry the man who proves himself most worthy." Her tone was dry. "But we wish to keep this a secret from them. If the princes were to find out, then they might plot to kill each other. We would be most saddened if a situation like this occurred."

The cabinet all seemed to agree with this point and Saya hoped that her two suitors stayed in their deadlock for many years to come. Part of her hoped that Oshiro would come out ahead, but then feelings of guilt started to drape over her like a heavy blanket.

Saya was dismissed and decided to take a walk in one of her favorite gardens.

* * *

"Good afternoon, Hime-sama."

Saya turned to see Oshiro smiling at her and couldn't help but smile back.

"Hello, Oshiro-sama. What do you have there?" Saya pointed to the book he was holding.

"Oh, I found this in the library. A book of poems. I thought it might be nice to find a relaxing spot to read a little. Would you like to join me?"

"Hai."

The two walked together until they found a large sakura tree to sit under. A koi pond was located next to the tree. Oshiro took Saya's hand to help her while she situated her kimonos so that she could sit comfortably on the ground.

"Which shall I read?" Oshiro asked as he flipped open the book.

"I'm sure I will like whichever you choose." Saya said while smoothing her robes.

"Hmmm… this one looks nice. 'I step out from the bamboo grove and onto the sand'…"

Saya went stiff when she heard the first line of the poem. It was the very same poem she had read to Juushiro so many years ago when he was sick in bed.

"But I won't move, no I won't budge for my lover said, 'Meet me there…'"

The pain that slammed into Saya was immense and her insides felt as though they were being constricted. She allowed herself brief moments when thinking of Juushiro, but she had pretty much suppressed all the pain she felt from losing him. Now she was sitting there, with the man she was most likely going to marry, and thinking only of how she wanted to be with Juushiro. She wanted to see his kind smile and hear his strong voice. Saya wanted nothing more than to be laying with him, wrapped up in his arms and body.

"…Where is my lover? Did he forget what he said?"

Saya fought against her instincts to curl up into a ball and start weeping. All these years she had been trying so hard to pretend she wasn't miserable without him, and something so simple had undone all that hard work.

"…'Thank you for not moving, not even a budge. For what would I have done if I hadn't seen the one I love?' Ne, Hime-sama, what do you think of that one?"

Saya couldn't answer, afraid that her voice would betray her and her eyes would let loose the tears she viciously fought back.

"Hime-sama? Are you alright?"

Saya took a quick breath and did her best to steady herself. "Hai… it's… that's a favorite of mine." Her voice was a bit quiet, but at least she didn't break down.

"Is it? Then it has become a favorite of mine as well." Oshiro said while smiling.

Saya allowed a few moments to pass. "Please continue, I'd like to hear more." She turned to see Oshiro's smile had grown wider.

"Hime-sama, it makes me happy that you don't use the royal 'we' when speaking to me. I've noticed that you use it with Nagasaku-san, and others as well… but thinking back, you've never been that formal with me. I like that you feel comfortable around me. I feel comfortable around you too."

Now the guilt twisted into Saya like a hot knife and it took her a moment before she could say anything back. "I didn't notice that I did that, but I guess it's true. I'm glad you can share your honest feelings, Oshiro-sama." Saya didn't say anymore, but he seemed pleased with her reply and began to read another poem.

After the second poem, their duo was interrupted and became an unwanted three-some.

"There you are, Hime-sama, Oshiro… It's not fair for you to keep her Imperial Highness all to yourself." Nagasaku said while wearing a chilling smirk.

Oshiro calmly smiled back. "We just happened to meet in the garden."

"Is that so? Well then, may I join you?" He looked at Saya.

She nodded, feeling more uneasy than usual. Oshiro must had sensed something as well because he unconsciously shifted towards Saya.

"You know, Oshiro, I've discovered some interesting information about our little princess here."

Saya stiffened while Oshiro's face hardened. "Is that so?" He said.

"Hai. Did you know that our little princess lived in the Sereitei for awhile?"

Saya couldn't believe what she heard. How could he have possible known this information? Something like that would never be shared with either of them at this stage, and she wasn't planning on telling whoever she had to marry about her time as a shinigami.

"Apparently, the princess here had lost her spiritual powers and memories after suffering from a rather severe attack."

Saya's jaw dropped behind her veil. How did he know this? Whoever told him these bits of classified information was putting their own life in danger. If they were found out, treason would be their charge.

"Apparently, she was even in love. That's why she won't choose a husband."

Saya gasped.

"And I heard that bit of information from her own mouth. You should be more aware of what you discuss, Saya-sama. Even when you're with a close friend in the middle of the woods."

Saya swallowed hard. He even said her name. Knowing he must have her her talking to Souta, Saya quickly chastised herself for not being more aware of her surroundings and wondered how much he had heard and what exactly she had said.

"It wasn't hard to convince one of the maids to fill me in on what little details she had about the situation. But she confirmed that Hime-sama had suffered from amnesia and served as a soul reaper until she was found to be alive and returned here to the king's realm. Isn't that interesting?"

Saya was speechless. Not knowing what to say or do, Saya turned her head to look at Oshiro's reaction. He sat perfectly still with a face like an iron mask.

"One, you are too forward to use her name. Even if you have learned it, she hasn't given you permission to use it. Secondly, it doesn't matter to me that Hime-sama served as a soul reaper while her memories were gone. Shinigami have a vital role in keeping our home safe and the honorable duty of helping the souls of the dead pass peacefully to the other side. All I care about is the Hime-sama I know now." Oshiro said.

A smirk came across Nagasaku's lips. "And you don't care that the reason she hasn't chosen you or me as a husband is because of the fact she's still in love with a shinigami?"

Oshiro furrowed his brow slightly but he didn't answer, only glared at Nagasaku.

"Although no one seems to know the name of this shinigami that holds your love, " Oshiro said as he addressed Saya. "I learned that you went by the name Kyouraku Saya. I'm guessing you were very, _very_ close to a captain by that same name."

"We won't be brought into the pointless argument. We don't know how your learned this information, but it matters not to us." Saya's words came out slow and calm but on the inside her heart was racing. It didn't help that the possessive look in Nagasaku's eyes seemed to have magnified.

"It matters to me! You see, I will destroy this captain and claim you as mine! You will only see me!"

Saya barely had time to gasp as she felt herself being grabbed and carried away by Nagasaku.

"Hime-sama!" She could hear Oshiro running behind them trying to catch up.

Saya tried to struggle but couldn't move once Nagasaku decided to use his spiritual pressure to immobilize her body.

_"Kamikaze! Kamikaze!"_ Saya yelled to her friend. She could feel him trying to break through the barrier created by the bracelet. She could see his frantic face from the corners of her mind as he tried to fight back against Riku's force.

_"Try… center… emotions…"_ He called out to his master.

Saya could only hear bits of his message as her fear escalated.

"Where are you taking us?"

"I've secured a door to take us to the Sereitei. Don't worry, by the time the palace is able to open another door to get to you, I will have killed this captain and then you will choose me as your husband."

"We won't! We won't have someone like you!" Saya quickly regretted saying anything as his reitsu stunned her more.

"Almost there."

Saya could feel Oshiro's spiritual pressure gaining on them, as well as the spiritual pressure of at least ten imperial guards, Souta among them. But when she looked ahead she saw a gate, already beginning to shut on itself. She knew it would lead to the Sereitei and that no one would be able to make it in behind them.

"Please… stop." Saya said weakly as Nagasaku passed through the entrance. She looked behind him to see it close as Oshiro was just about to make it through.

"I knew he couldn't catch me." Nagasaku said.

* * *

"Dammit!" Oshiro screamed as the door slammed in his face.

The imperial guard surrounded him; the anger in the spiritual pressure was beyond mistake.

"Oshiro-sama, how was Nagasaku able to create a passage gate to the Sereitei?" One of the guardsmen asked.

"As heirs to our own clans, and warriors within them, we are given special daggers that can open a gate whenever or wherever we need them. Usually only the person who holds the dagger can pass through them, so as not to allow any enemies to follow, but he probably used a specialized kidou spell in order for the princess to be able to enter. I will open a door of my own to get to her. The rest of you head back to the palace and inform his majesty of what has happened and come through when you can. It might be good to send only a few. If we send too many guards, the shinigami might become suspicious. We want as few people as possible on the other side to realize what's happening, understood?"

"Hai!" With a flash the ten guardsmen disappeared and made their way back to the palace.

Oshiro took out his own dagger. He realized that the only reason he could create a passage here was because they were so far away from the palace. Powerful kidou would have been used to keep anyone from using those daggers to place themselves in an advantageous spot on palace grounds.

_Hime-sama, please be okay when I find you._

* * *

Hideo placed Saya to rest against a large tree and knelt beside her. "I want you to know that I'm doing this for your own good. You will thank me for this one day when we are happily married."

Saya didn't say anything back, she couldn't. He was still using his spiritual pressure to keep her from fighting back. Never had she hated that bracelet more than right at that instant.

"You're only making this harder on yourself, you know? If only you had given yourself to me already, we wouldn't be in this problem." He pulled off her headdress and undid her hair so it fell in golden waves around her.

"So beautiful. I have always desired you, but when I saw you by that lake with nothing to hide your beauty I realized even more that you should belong to me."

Nagasaku swept her hair behind her ear and started to lean in. Saya did what she could to resist but wasn't even able to turn her head. She felt like she might vomit.

He stopped.

"No, I will wait until that man is destroyed. Then I will take you."

Saya felt herself being picked up again and they started to flash towards the Sereitei.

"Don't worry about not being able to get in. I move quickly when getting something I want. I've already paid a shinigami at the back gate to allow us entry. Hardly anyone uses that entrance, so we should go unnoticed. I'd rather no one know that I murdered a Gotei thirteen captain."

The back gate was near the woods of the thirteenth division. Saya prayed that she was giving off enough spiritual pressure that someone would be able to sense her and save her from this terror. On the other hand, she was being so dominated by his reitsu that she wasn't sure anyone would sense her own. Tears started to poor from her eyes as the guard simply looked the other way and allowed Nagasaku entrance.

"Don't cry, my love. I am about to make everything alright."

* * *

"I'm glad you're feeling better, Juushiro." Shunsui said as he took a long sip of sake.

"Hai, that was a severe attack, but a week has passed and I feel 800 years old again." Juushiro said with a small laugh as he, too, took a sip of sake.

"You really should do something about those subordinates of yours, Juushiro. I'm afraid with all their yelling they may drive you quicker to your grave."

"They mean well and ----"

Juushiro and Shunsui both turned their heads to the disturbance in spiritual pressure. It was coming from the woods and heading closer. Both of their eyes widened when they felt a minute pulse of Saya's reitsu. They were worried about how weak she felt and the fact that it was laced with fear. They bolted out of the door and towards the source of the disturbance.

They watched as a young man, cradling Saya to his chest, stepped out of the woods.

"He's completely dominating her with his spiritual pressure. Why can't she fight back?" Shunsui said to Juushiro.

Juushiro shook his head, his eyes and face hardened at the sight in front of him.

The young man gave them both a smile and laid Saya on the ground. Her eyes were wide as she looked up at him, still unable to control her body against his force.

"I'm sorry gentleman, but I only need to know where one Kyouraku Shunsui is presently. I have a rather urgent appointment with him." Nagasaku said.

"I am Kyouraku Shunsui. But I'm afraid I don't have the pleasure of knowing your name."

"I am prince Nagasaku Riku."

"And might I inquire as to what you are doing with Saya-chan?"

"So you are the one." Riku smirked and drew his sword. "I'm glad that you know my name. Remember it well, because it is the name of the man who is going to kill you."

* * *

A big thank you to all of you who reviewed the last chapter. As always, it means so much to me and I'm always so grateful.

I'm really excited b/c I was so motivated and so much material to write down that I'm actually almost done with the next chapter as well! Woo hoo! So be expecting a quick update. We're getting closer and closer to the main timeline. Please be patient with me.

Also, please take the time to review and let me know what you think! Arigatou!


	39. Chapter 39: Shiro

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or anything that has to do with the Bleach franchise.

* * *

"Might I know the reason why you intend to kill me?" Shunsui asked, seemingly unaffected by Nagasaku's declaration.

"I think you know full well." Riku answered back.

"I'm sorry, but I don't. Perhaps you could put your sword away and we could discuss this over a nice cup of sake?"

"He seems the type that kills first and then asks questions later, Shunsui." Juushiro said. "Is there a reason you have to make Saya submit under your pressure like that? Perhaps you could release her?" It was all Juushiro could do to hold himself back. It wasn't in his nature to want to cause physical harm to another human being, but it was looking rather tempting at the moment. Seeing Saya struggle for even a shallow breath of air was more than he could handle.

Nagasaku sat there stunned. "How dare you address her so familiarly as well? She belongs to me! I am the only one who should be allowed to address her so intimately!"

Juushiro's brow furrowed and eyes narrowed. He managed to keep his compusure. "I still think you should ease your pressure. She clearly can't fight back herself."

"I don't care what you think, old man! I am here to proclaim that Saya belongs to me and destroy those who stand in between us!" But he seemed to think better of Juushiro's suggestion and eased his force. Saya gasped for the breath that her body so desperately needed.

"Please, Nagasaku-sama! Stop what you're doing!"

"I won't stop! I told you already, haven't I? I will destroy this man and embrace you and claim you as my own."

Saya stood up, stumbling a bit, and grabbed Nagasaku's arm. "You don't know what you're doing. Please stop this nonsense!"

"You said that you wouldn't marry me because of a promise you made!"

Juushiro's face was clearly stunned as he looked at Saya. It was clear that she was keeping her promise, but it was also obvious that this Nagasaku character didn't know to whom she had made the promise. Juushiro could only guess that Nagasaku had learned Saya's family name during her time in the Sereitei and assumed that Shunsui was the man she was speaking about.

Saya, on the other hand, was trying to think quickly on her feet. She let go of Riku's arm and regained her cold composure. "You can only blame yourself then." She said.

"What did you say?" Riku was caught off guard and he fixed his gaze on her.

Her words and tone were like ice as they came out. "I hate your kind the most. Men who think the reason they cannot claim a woman's love because it belongs to another. Always blaming someone else instead of realizing the truth. You're an idiot. You cannot claim my love because you are not worthy of me."

Juushiro and Shunsui both grabbed the hilts of their swords but didn't yet draw them. The anger and humiliation that Nagasaku felt was written all over his face as well as the feel of his reitsu. They just weren't sure when or who he was going to strike when he decided to burst.

"Nagasaku, stop!"

The four of them were momentarily caught off guard as Oshiro ran out of the woods to join the scuffle.

"Nagasaku, stop what you are doing this instant and return Saya-sama to her home. If you make the right decision now, you will ensure yourself a lesser punishment." Oshiro said. He had his sword drawn and stood in a defensive position as he glared at Riku.

"You're a fool. Right now they would take my head in an instant. But once Saya claims that she desires me as her husband, they won't do anything but congratulate me on winning her hand. Besides, you can watch as I destroy the only obstacle that stands in my way."

Nagasaku turned back towards Shunsui and pointed his sword. "Enough delay. I came for your head!"

"No!" Saya screamed and grabbed onto Nagasaku's robes.

"Out of my way, woman!" With the butt of his sword, Riku made to strike Saya. She had only a moment to block her head as his sword came down hard on her right wrist.

She gasped as she saw white dust fall down around her and the remainder of the bracelet fall to the ground.

"No one move!" She cried. All of them were stunned by the sudden influx of her spiritual pressure, including Saya. It wasn't as though no one was strong enough to stand up to her strength, more like they were surprised by the sudden release. Saya though, was struggling to gain control against herself.

Nagasaku took several steps back as he watched Saya slowly stand up to her full height. Shunsui and Juushiro gripped their sword hilts tightly as they watched what looked like a small tornado spin around her. Oshiro, too, stood in wait as he watched the scene play out.

_"Kamikaze. It feels good to hear you so clearly again."_

_"Unfortunate circumstances, Saya-sama."_

_"Hai."_

_"You won't have much time to make your move. Your body isn't used to utilizing your spiritual pressure anymore, and as you can tell, you're stronger than before. I think you have less than a minute before you pass out from the strain. Don't worry, your Aniki and the pretty taicho will take care of you."_

_"I understand."_

_"Then call my name, Saya-sama."_

Saya allowed an evil smirk to grace her lips as she tried to slick some of the hair out of her face.

Shunsui and Juushiro knew that grin better than anyone, and it never was a good thing if you were on the receiving end of it.

Saya reached her hand into the tornado that swirled around her. "Come to your master, Kamikaze." She said. The tornado died around her and in her hand was her zanpakuto. Saya felt a sense of wholeness, complete now that she had clear access to her whole soul.

"A zanpakuto?" Nagasaku said. The surprise was clearly written all over his face. "Who are you? Are you Saya?"

The other three men stood and watched as she wrapped her fingers around the hilt of her zanpakuto but didn't yet draw the sword.

"Hai." In a flash Saya had drawn her sword and sliced Nagasaku's throat. She stood behind him with her sword once again in its scabbard as Riku fell to the ground, dead before the impact.

Saya turned around and saw the three remaining men staring at her. Their faces held a mixture of emotions as they looked at her. But Saya wasn't able to say anything; she could feel her body slowly give out from the strain of her own spiritual pressure. The effects made worse by the fact she wasn't eating or sleeping much.

"…Shiro." She whispered as everything went black and she started to fall over.

Oshiro beat both Juushiro and Shunsui and caught the passed-out Saya in his arms and cradled her close to him. "You are captains, correct?"

"Hai, I am Kyouraku Shunsui and this is Ukitake Juushiro."

Hideo nodded. "Then it is your duty, as much as mine, to keep this woman safe. I can't take her back to the king's realm in this condition. Where is a good place to hide her until she recovers?"

Shunsui looked at Juushiro whose eyes were fixed on Saya's face. "We'll take her to my home. It's just there… on the lake." He said as he pointed towards his house.

"Very well. I am Oshiro Hideo." He said while he picked Saya up. "I'm nothing like Nagasaku, you can trust me. I only wish for her safety. I'm sorry that I couldn't protect her from him."

Juushiro gave him a blank look. This unknown man was holding _his_ Saya and claiming to protect _his_ Saya. The woman he hadn't seen in over thirty-five years was weak, unconscious, and in the arms of another man.

"Juushiro, could you lead the way, please?" Shunsui quietly said beside him.

Juushiro nodded and turned on his heel, guiding the way over to his house.

* * *

"Please give her to me." Juushiro said when Hideo entered his home. "I'll put her in my bed."

Oshiro hesitated at first, but then handed over the limp Saya. She actually curled up into the captain's chest.

"mmm… Shiro." She said again, barely a whisper.

Oshiro smiled slightly to himself. _She's calling for me._

Juushiro turned, walked into his bedroom, and gently laid Saya in his bed.

"Ne, Saya, what has happened to you? You look so frail, you haven't been taking care of yourself." He whispered as he brushed the hair out of her face. "Is it me you're calling for, or that young man in there?" Juushiro bent over her face. It had been so long since he had seen his lover. Her face looked exactly how he remembered it and even more beautiful. All he wanted to do was climb in bed with her and hold her. He wanted to be the one to protect her from everything. He had so many questions he wanted answered. He sighed. "Do you know how much I have missed you these many years?"

That was when he saw it.

The bracelet.

After all of these years, she hadn't taken it off. He touched her left wrist and she stirred slightly. His eyes traveled back to her face, her lips…

"Is she alright?" Oshiro asked from the doorway.

Juushiro sighed again and made a show covering her up and checking her forehead.

"Hai, her body just needs some time to adjust. After a few hours of sleep she should be okay. I'm sure her zanpakuto spirit is working hard to control the amount of spiritual pressure she has to deal with." Juushiro stood up and exited the room, followed closely behind by Hideo.

Shunsui had already made tea and served it to Hideo and Juushiro while helping himself to some sake.

"Who was that man?" Shunsui asked. "And who are you?" He wore a kind smile and took a sip of sake.

Oshiro looked back and forth between the two men. The one with the brown hair, Kyouraku, wore a kind smile while the other man held his face in a stone-like mask. Hideo wasn't sure why, but he didn't think that type of face suited his look.

"We two were chosen as candidates to marry… Saya." He hesitated a bit saying her name, and he didn't like the way he had come to know it. But he knew the rules of the king's realm and didn't want to give away her true identity. He had been careful to use her name earlier with Nagasaku, and didn't want to slip up now. He didn't think these men knew her true identity anyway, even if they did seem familiar with her.

"Marry?" Juushiro choked a little on his tea. He hated the idea of it, but could he blame a grandfather for wanting that sort of life for his granddaughter?

"Hai. Her grandfather insists that she marries soon."

"And with Nagasaku-kun out of the way…" Shunsui started.

"It looks like I'm the only candidate left." A small smile edged Oshiro's lips. Juushiro looked into his tea cup. Shunsui looked at Juushiro.

"Why was that man threatening to kill me?" Shunsui asked.

"It seems he overheard Saya-sama talking to one of her friends. He claimed that she said the reason she hadn't chosen a husband was because she was still in love with a man she had met while living here. I guess he looked into the matter and discovered that her family name had been the same as yours. He assumed you were the one she loved." Oshiro said, looking at Shunsui. It seemed he was debating the truth of his story.

Juushiro looked up at the young man, but was careful to keep the blank stare on his face.

"We shared the same name because my family adopted her." Shunsui said as he took a sip of sake.

This seemed to brighten Oshiro's mood. "It must have been a misunderstanding then. Nagasaku always seemed… possessive of her. I never liked the look in his eye, but I never thought he would take it so far."

"What else do you know of the situation?" Juushiro asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"That's really all I know. I was unaware that she had ever been out of the king's realm before now."

Both Juushiro and Shunsui nodded and took a sip of their respective drinks.

"But... I've never seen her wield a zanpakuto before. In fact, she never really gave off much spiritual pressure before just now." Oshiro stated, staring into his own cup.

Shunsui cocked an eyebrow. "Saya was hardly ever seen without her Kamikaze during her time here, and her spiritual pressure was always very distinct... once it resurfaced. Wouldn't you say, Juushiro?"

He nodded. "Hai and she could be very deadly when provoked.... It wasn't until that bracelet was destroyed by Nagasaku that Saya was even able to fight back. I'm guessing her reitsu has been suppressed all these years, and that's why she was unable to maintain consciousness for long after it was destroyed."

"It would be a strain on anyone's body to suddenly have to control a large influx of spiritual pressure." Shunsui said.

The three of them nodded in agreement.

"If it wouldn't be too troublesome, do you mind telling me of the Saya you knew?" Oshiro asked. Shunsui smiled and agree. Juushiro took another sip of tea.

* * *

Souta paced back and forth. He couldn't believe the orders they were given. They weren't allowed to enter the Sereitei to retrieve Saya or the princes.

"Let the best man come back with her. Saya is perfectly safe. They are trying to win her hand. I am confident no harm will befall her." Is what that old man had said.

Souta knew better though. He was sure that her grandfather was worried for her safety, but had to make the decision as a king, not as her grandfather. But that seemed absurd even for the king and Souta assumed he was under pressure from his cabinet to let the scenario play out. At least Souta felt that the king was right in some respect. Souta was sure that neither of them would harm her.

Until then, he could only wait until the next morning. If they hadn't returned by then, he and three others were ordered to retrieve Saya and the prince, or princes, if both were still alive.

* * *

Saya opened her eyes and wrapped the comforting arms around her tighter.

"Hanryo. I've missed you so much."

"Hai, Saya-sama. I've missed you too."

"I've missed our time together. I've missed this place and the peace I have here with you."

"I'm glad that I can bring you some happiness, Saya-sama. But you have to be careful. Your body will still be weak when you are able to wake up. I'm doing my best to reign in your spiritual pressure, but with the condition you're in now, it'll take awhile for me to control it, especially since you're unable to help for the time being."

Saya nodded and leaned back further into Kamikaze's chest. "I'll leave it to you, then."

"And Saya-sama?"

"What is it?"

"Whatever you do, don't let them put another bracelet on you. It may be peaceful here with you. But without our connection, I am so lonely. The wind, the trees, the flowers… they are nothing without your presence."

"Hai. I'll do my best."

"Good, now sleep." Kamikaze laid a small kiss on Saya's cheek as he watched her eyes close.

* * *

"So Saya was a fukutaicho under this, Tosen-taicho?" Oshiro asked. He was amazed by Saya's history while in the Sereitei. Shunsui was the one giving most of the details while Juushiro listened and Oshiro asked question after question. Shunsui left out the details of Saya's and Juushiro's relationship.

_This boy, he seems to really care about her. From what he's told us of their relationship, she doesn't dislike him in anyway. She might hold feelings for him as well. Is he truly to be her fiancé? All this time she's kept her promise to me… but how much has her happiness suffered because of it? Although I want her all to myself, it seems unrealistic. What I want most is for her to be happy… _

A million thoughts just like these filled Juushiro's head as he pretended to listen to Shunsui and Oshiro. But his thoughts were eventually cut off.

"What about you, Ukitake-taicho. How is that you seem so familiar with Saya-sama?" Oshiro asked, eyeing him a bit suspiciously.

_Because she's in love with me! Because I am the one who embraced her for so many years! Because her heart belongs to me just like my heart belongs to her!_ Juushiro took a sip of his tea to allow a little more time before answering aloud.

"Shunsui is my best friend, so I came to know Saya…sama through him. She was also good friends with my former fukutaicho, so she was often here in my division." Juushiro felt his stomach churn with the half-truths he gave and he could see Shunsui eyeing him from his peripheral vision.

"Oh? It's just you seemed a bit... Well that's good to know. Like I said, I'm sure it was a misunderstanding on Nagasaku's part." Oshiro said, though not feeling completely relieved of the suspicion he felt towards the older captain.

Juushiro stayed silent. _No, it's best to protect her in whatever way I can. If Saya wishes to tell him about me, then I will allow her that. If she wishes to keep our past a secret, then I must respect that too._

"Perhaps it is best if we try to get some rest. I'm sure Saya will be out for a long while. Do you have any extra mats, Juushiro?" Shunsui said.

Juushiro nodded, glad for the change in subject and atmosphere. "In the closet there." He stood up and grabbed two mats and some blankets for the floor. "You make take the couch, Oshiro-sama, if you wish."

"No, thank you. This is your home after all, therefore, you should be most comfortable. The floor is fine for me."

Juushiro nodded and gave one of his mats and blankets to the young man. He sighed as he thought that in a lot of ways, this Oshiro reminded him of himself. Juushiro hated that, thinking Saya might be weaker against this Oshiro because of their similarities. He was sure Shunsui was thinking the same thing. Juushiro also knew that Shunsui's mind, like his, was going to be consumed with thoughts of the girl they had been missing for so long.

* * *

_"Is master not happy to see Saya-sama again?" _The twin voices of his zanpakuto always spoke in such musical tones which helped Juushiro relax when he entered his inner world.

Juushiro floated on his back in a vast ocean, gently being rocked by the waves while he watched the stormy sky swirl above him.

_"I wish the circumstances were different. It's a good possibility that she's going to marry that young boy. And the fact is, I doubt she ever expected to see me again. I always hoped, but never really thought I would see her again."_

_"Why doesn't master go to her?"_

_"It would be inappropriate."_

_"She is your lover."_

_"She hasn't been my lover for a long time."_ Juushiro sighed and closed his eyes, allowing his other senses to take over.

He didn't know what was worse... never seeing Saya again and not knowing about her current life, or seeing her this one time and learning that she would be getting married to a prince. Juushiro's stomach turned over when he thought about that boy touching Saya, claiming her body for his own. Would Saya react to Oshiro's touch the way it had to his own? Would she willingly let him embrace her? Would her body form new habits in response to this Oshiro's while it forgot all about Juushiro's?

_"Master, you are supposed to be at peace when you enter this world. You are making yourself more upset with those thoughts."_

Juushiro sighed and opened his eyes to stare up at the ceiling of his living room. He could tell by Shunsui's breathing that he wasn't asleep either and when he looked at Oshiro, Juushiro knew that he was awake by the tension in his body.

Laying an arm over his eyes to block out the moonlight, Juushiro fought against his thoughts, concentrating only on his breathing in an attempt to clear his mind. But his thoughts were constantly centered on the girl in the other room.

Juushiro stood up and started to walk towards his bedroom.

"Juushiro?" Shunsui whispered.

"I'm only going to check and make sure she's alright."

"I should be the one to do it." Oshiro made to get off his mat. Juushiro was glad that the darkness covered the glare he sent towards the young boy.

"Why don't you both let me do it? I still consider myself her aniki, and I often took care of her when she was unwell." Shunsui turned himself towards Oshiro. "If you truly are to be Saya-chan's husband, then she probably wouldn't want you to see her like this. It'll be fine."

Oshiro nodded. Juushiro was both irritated and thankful. If he had protested against Oshiro then it would have been suspicious. Shunsui, on the other hand, actually had a decent excuse. Juushiro went and lied back down on his small couch and placed his arm over his eyes.

"It would be best if you actually got some sleep, Oshiro-sama. You're strength will be needed to help Saya…sama."

"Yes… thank you." Oshiro once again lied down with his back towards Juushiro. _He seems a bit… His name is Juushiro… 'Shiro'... Perhaps the princess was calling for him, not me? Perhaps there really is a man in Sereitei that Hime-sama loves… is it him? Could Nagasaku have been right?_

* * *

Shunsui wet a rag and placed it on Saya's forehead before bending down and placing a small peck on the top of her head.

"Saya-chan," he whispered. "We've missed you a lot, you know? Juushiro especially. I think it would be hard to lose the one you were determined to spend your life with. Now he has to deal with the fact he knows you'll be getting to married to someone else. He's not selfish, so even though it'll bring him pain, if he thinks that you'll be happy that's what he'll ultimately wants." Shunsui sighed a little and straightened her blankets.

"I've missed seeing your smile that you give me when I walk into the room. It always let me know how much you loved having me for a big brother. Or how you hugged me if we hadn't seen each other for a long time…"

Shunsui stared into his sister's sleeping face for a while.

"You're going to leave again, aren't you? Probably as soon as you wake up too. How will you leave? Without giving us an explanation like last time? You probably think it's best that way. I just hope I have the chance to return a gift to you." Shunsui touched the ribbon holding his hair in place, gave Saya one last kiss on her head before returning to the main room. Both Juushiro and Oshiro turned to look at him when he entered.

"She's sleeping soundly. There doesn't seem to be anything to be concerned about." Shunsui said as he grabbed his straw hat to place over his face. He was sure both men were looking for more answers, but he didn't have anything else to say. "Goodnight."

* * *

_"Saya-sama, you're finally able to wake up. That's a good thing."_ Hanryo said.

Saya opened her eyes and found herself staring up at Juushiro's bedroom ceiling. She closed them again, a wide smile spreading to her face as she stretched her body. Rolling onto her stomach, Saya buried her head in the pillows and took a deep breath.

_"Mmm… Juushiro's scent, it's heavenly. Am I dreaming, Hanryo?"_

_"No, Saya-sama."_

_"I didn't think so." _Saya smiled widely as she snuggled into Juushiro's pillow. _"It seemed like such a real dream."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"All of it."_ Saya answered and ignored the odd look Kamikaze gave her from the corners of her mind. She was feeling beyond excited to be waking up in Juushiro's bed, like it had been decades since she'd done it.

Throwing the covers off of her, Saya then bounded over to his wardrobe and grabbed an old yukata of his that she had always liked to wear on their "lazy" days together. It was too big on her, but she didn't care. She grabbed an obi that she found to hold it together. Skipping to his bedroom door, Saya started talking before she even opened the door.

"You won't believe the dream I just…" Saya's smile quickly faltered when she saw Oshiro sitting in the main room with Juushiro and Shunsui. She quickly turned her head away from everyone and her eyes met with the floor.

"Saya-sama?" Oshiro asked. "Are you alright?"

Saya gave an inaudible snort. "I wanted it to… to be a dream." She said quietly.

_"Saya-sama? What were you hoping was the dream part?"_

_"The part where I wasn't with Juushiro for all these years."_

"I tried to convince myself… it hadn't happened." Saya said, finishing her thought out loud, still looking at the floor. She felt so stupid, as if this fleeting moment of happiness could have been real.

"Forgive me, Saya-sama, I couldn't protect you from him. I'm sure you wish it was just a dream." Oshiro said, misunderstanding her true meaning, then walked over to Saya. He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. "But you're safe now. Kyouraku-taicho and Ukitake-taicho helped us."

Saya looked up at into the handsome man's face. He really was beautiful and his eyes held so much concern and care for her that she almost couldn't bear it. She looked away again and took a step backwards. Her face was like stone, but her eyes… she knew her eyes would give away the pain and sadness she was feeling inside. She didn't want to look at her Aniki and she was terrified to look at Juushiro. Saya wasn't sure if he would be mad or indifferent to her now. But she was sure if she looked at him then she would break down. She would throw herself at him and beg for forgiveness. She would plead with him to let her stay there, knowing it was impossible and that it would only cause him suffering.

She swallowed. "They have… our… gratitude." It came out so sad, so pathetic. Saya knew it too. Her attempts to seem unaffected and calm were all in vain.

"Saya-sama?" Oshiro attempted to turn her face to look but she took another step back from him and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Imouto? Are you alright?"

Saya stiffened at the sound of Shunsui's voice and took a few slow, deep breaths. "I'm… I'm feeling hungry."

"You haven't been taking care of yourself. Look how thin you've become." Shunsui said, his voice so soothing to Saya.

"Saya-sama, you remember your Aniki, don't you? And his friend, Ukitake-san?" Oshiro's voice was taking on a new level of concern by Saya's strange behavior. He didn't know what to make of the fact she wouldn't look at anyone or why she wrapped her arms around her, like she was trying to shield herself.

Saya nodded in response to his questions, still refusing to look at anyone.

"Saya-sama… you must be feeling uncomfortable? Your face isn't covered and you're not wearing much. Perhaps you feel… a little exposed?" Oshiro was trying to figure out how to comfort his future wife, but was feeling like a failure.

Saya shook her head. "It's not that it's… It's better if I don't…" Her voice broke and she took a deep breath, her jaw started to chatter while she fought back the tears that threatened to break free.

_"Saya-sama, it would be okay if you…"_

_"No! I won't break down. It would be better if they thought I hated them. That I didn't care."_

Saya backed herself against the wall and slid down until she was kneeling, her face turned towards it so she couldn't see anyone. Oshiro knelt beside her.

"Saya… please." It was Ukitake who spoke. His voice filled with concern and yearning. Saya knew he was feeling just as desperate as she was with just those two words.

Her head snapped to look at him and her eyes locked with his. Those sweet brown pools were conveying his deep feelings for her and she was sure that her eyes were saying the exact same thing. Taking deep breaths through her nose, Saya was determined not to cry, to not break down. Juushiro stood from his spot and took a step towards her.

"Stay where you are!" Saya said as she turned her head away and closed her eyes tightly.

Oshiro narrowed his eyes slightly at Saya's reaction and then looked at Juushiro with more suspicion than he had before. He couldn't stop himself from asking; he had to know.

With a calm voice, filled with care and concern, not anger or jealousy he asked a simple question. "Saya-sama, was what Nagasaku said true… about you being in love with a shinigami?"

Saya opened her eyes wide in shock.

"Is Ukitake-taicho… is he that shinigami?"

Saya's breathing became heavy as she turned to look at Oshiro, the man that she would be marrying now that Nagasaku was dead.

Saya tried not to cry as she opened her mouth to speak. "He…."

* * *

Ah! Ah! Ah! Please don't throw things at me! I love you guys. My readers mean everything to... OUCH! Who threw the stapler?! J/K! But I'm sure you guys will hate me leaving you on this... but now I think I might be addicted to cliffhangers! Don't worry... not uber addicted like some writers I know (ahem, firewaterearthwind!)... but.. yeah.

Anyway, I tried to get this posted quick b/c the next couple of weeks are going to be very busy for me, so it might be after Thanksgiving when I get to post again. (Dodges blunt object) But I promise to get it out before that if I can.

Thank you to everyone that reviewed and added this story to their favorites, alerts... or added me a favorite author. You guys are the best readers EVER in the history of fanfiction... it's true! ^_^

Please take the time to leave me a post. They make me sooooooo happy!


	40. Chapter 40: Keeping Secrets

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or anything that has to do with the Bleach franchise.

* * *

"Is Ukitake-taicho… is he that shinigami?"

Saya replayed the very simple question over in her mind a few times while she tried to regain control of her emotions.

"He… Nagasaku-sama, what he heard wasn't a lie. There was no misunderstanding. I can't deny that I am in love with a man here in the Sereitei."

Juushiro let out a breath that he didn't realize he was holding as he continued to watch the scene play out in front of him. He was happy that Saya didn't outright deny him, though she didn't directly state that he was the one she was in love with. He didn't fully understand why she wouldn't admit their relationship, and that alone caused him pain.

Oshiro stared intently into Saya's eyes. Just as she was well trained in keeping her face like an emotionless mask, Ohsiro was as well. She just wasn't used to him using the poker face with her. She stared back into his eyes and saw the hurt behind them. "You still haven't answered my question."

Saya allowed herself a heavy sigh before smirking a little and running her hands through her hair.

"What am I doing here on the floor? I am truly acting pathetic. No one should be acting like such a fool, especially one of my station." She said while standing up. It was only to buy her some time so that she could fully regain her composure. By the time she stood up she had successfully returned her face to an emotionless state, though her eyes were sharp and searched for the slightest reaction from Hideo.

"Please understand when I say I cannot answer that question."

His eyes narrowed slightly. "Why not? Because it is true?"

"Whether it's true or not, that's not the problem. I have already confessed that my love belongs to another. If I tell you it's Ukitake-taicho, will you be satisfied? Or if I tell you it is not him; will you try to discover who it is? Either way, it will only bring you more suffering, and to myself as well. No, it is better if you don't know his name."

With a furrowed brow, Hideo stared back at Saya, waiting for more of an answer. She didn't let his gaze intimidate her, but understood that he didn't find her answer at all satisfactory.

Saya let out a heavy sigh. "Oshiro-sama, please understand. It doesn't even matter in the end does it? You are the one that I will marry." Saya wanted to look at Juushiro's reaction, she wanted to try to convey that he was still the only man she truly wanted, but she knew better. Just as she was analyzing every twitch on Hideo's face, he was scrutinizing hers as well.

Oshiro shook his head a little and let out an audible sigh. "Being the one you will marry and the one you want to marry are two completely different things." He said quietly.

Saya was a little shocked by his statement. Her mouth fell slightly as her eyes widened. She swallowed hard, choosing her next words carefully and knowing that they would encourage one man while bringing pain to another. "I'm telling you there's no difference."

Oshiro's head snapped back up as he looked into Saya's eyes again. He searched for any sign that her words were false before allowing a small, but genuine smile to grace his lips. "No difference? If that is the truth then I am glad for it."

Saya started to understand why Oshiro had been so upset, why he was pushing to know who it was that held her love. He wanted to marry her. Not just because it would bring honor to his family, not because of duty, but because he truly cared for her. The guilt made Saya want to vomit. Hideo was a good man. It wasn't that Saya didn't care for him, but she knew now her feelings for Oshiro would never compare to the feelings she held for Juushiro.

But now she had basically told Hideo, with Juushiro and Shunsui as witnesses, that she wanted to marry him. No difference. Although she didn't say it directly, her words carried the message.

_"Saya-sama, do you think this is the right thing to do."_ Kamikaze whispered in the corners of her mind.

_"It's… I think this is my only option, Hanryo. I'm not free to choose between them."_

"There are so many things that I don't know about you, Saya-sama. I feel… for lack of a better word, irritated by that fact. Even though I have spent almost every day with you for the last year, there is still so much that I don't know, that I don't understand."

Saya gave a small chuckle and an amused smirk returned to her face. "No, you don't know me at all."

Oshiro gave her a confused look that she took as a cue to continue.

"Oshiro-sama, I have committed many sins against my sovereign. Most of them unknowingly, but not all." Saya wanted to share this secret with them, and it was important to her that Shunsui and Juushiro heard it as well. "Because of some of the decisions I made, decisions that could have put His Majesty in serious danger, I received castigation and have been fulfilling the criteria of my punishment since I was returned to the King's realm." Saya sighed. "But I don't dare say more than that for now. They have finally decided to show up for us."

The three men turned their attention to the four approaching reitsu. Saya smiled when she felt the familiar presence of Souta approaching, she was not so familiar with the other two soldiers. The last was radiating from a member of the king's cabinet. It was only moments later that they stepped through the front door.

Saya's eyes narrowed slightly when she realized it was Chairman Ikamura. One of the men she most despised, as he was one who had been pressuring her to marry any man that walked through the palace doors. He had also been very vocal about how her punishment had been too lenient. There existed a handful of cabinet members who still had not forgiven Saya for some of her more "careless" actions, as they had stated. Though most, especially now after years of her good behavior, had forgiven her and genuinely hoped for her good fortune. Ikamura was not one of them.

"Good morning." Saya said in a flat tone. "So you have finally come to collect us?"

"Hai, Saya-sama. We are glad to see you well." It was Souta that had spoken; he was standing behind the chairman while the other guards flanked Ikamura's sides.

"Yes, Saya-sama, Oshiro-sama. We are glad that you have come out relatively unscathed." The chairman said stiffly.

Saya sent a cold smile in his direction. "We're sure you are." Saya turned to make her way into Juushiro's bedroom. "We will put on something a little more appropriate to be taken home."

Shunsui and Juushiro looked at each with odd faces; clearly they were thinking the same thing. _Is Saya using a royal "we"?_

She had taken only a step when the female guard spoke as well. "Ichijin-sama, it is good to see you safe."

Saya's eyes widened before she quickly flashed in front of Shunsui and caught the blade of the of the other male guard. She looked back to see that Shunsui had replaced his short blade in its guard and he was wearing an amused smile.

Saya turned her gaze back to the guardsmen whose sword she was holding and gave him a little push backwards.

"And they call me careless? For one to use my code name in mixed company…" Saya shook her head. "Tsk, tsk. How careless indeed?" Her eyes held wicked twinkle while her smile was chilling to those who looked at her.

"Saya-sama, a part of your identity has been compromised…" Ikamura started to object.

"Silence yourself, Chairman. Something We learned during my time here in the Sereitei is to ask questions first, then attack if We must. The only person in this room who has learned anything new about us is Oshiro-sama. These men already knew that We had gone by the name 'Ichijin.'" Saya locked her gaze with Ikamura. "We don't think Yamamoto-soutaicho would be happy to hear that two of his strongest and oldest captains were injured nor do We believe that His Majesty would be very amused by that fact either. These men are captains in the protection squads; part of their duty is to make sure His Majesty is kept safe. Besides, they have protected us now and before. To raise a sword to them will displease me very much when they deserve our utmost gratitude."

Ikamura shifted his weight under Saya's scrutinizing glare.

"The only reason a part of our identity was_ compromised_ is because you decided to bring such a foolish girl along with you." Saya turned her eyes to the female guard standing beside Ikamura, the corners of her mouth turning up slightly more.

Saya extended a finger and motioned for the female guard to come to her. "Let us see you, little one." It almost sounded as if Saya was singing the way she let the honey-toned words drip from her tongue.

The girl stood where she was, trembling.

"Saya-sama…" Ikamura was cut off.

"We weren't speaking to you… Now, now little girl, do they allow just anyone into His Majesty's guard these days? Come here, it's not so much a request as a command."

Saya watched as the girl slowly stepped towards her, still shaking in fear. Saya grabbed the girl's wrist and slowly spun her around and brought her close to her, Saya hugging the girl from behind. She rested her chin on the girl's shoulder.

"Since you two seem to be relatively new, let us tell you something. When we are in the room, the only person's orders you follow are ours. The Chairman here might have given you some signal, boy, so that you would attempt to attack Kyouraku-taicho, but you shouldn't have moved a muscle because We didn't give you the command. And you little girl, should just keep your mouth shut." Saya tightened her hold on the girl and then a simple realization dawned on her. "Ne, Ikamura-san, this is your daughter, isn't it?" Saya smile wasn't kind, it taunted as a nefarious gleam shone in her eyes.

Ikamura stood stiff as a board, and Saya took that to mean she was correct. She continued to wear her insincere smile as she felt the girl quivering against her body.

"Ne child, why are you shaking so? We haven't even done anything to you or your dear daddy." Her tone was sweet, but the affects of her words worked as poison.

"Saya-chan, I think you're taking this teasing too far." Shunsui said in a serious tone.

Saya looked at her brother and saw that a slight frown marred his handsome features. Juushiro looked disappointed as well. Both of them had seen Saya behave this way before, but neither of them liked it. It wasn't often that this darker side came out, and it wasn't fun for any involved. Her malevolent smile, wicked glint, and chilling aura made some of the bravest men falter. Saya knew this and used it to her advantage. At least Shunsui could say that it wasn't a common occurrence, but she definitely used these iniquities when she wanted to assert her authority.

"Hmm… perhaps you are right, Kyouraku-taicho." Saya let go of the girl and gave her a little push into her father's arms. "But we will discuss this matter further when we have returned home." She said looking at the chairman and his daughter. "We do hope that frail child isn't yet allowed on any real missions. What would they say of the King's Guard?"

She cocked her head for a moment before walking towards Juushiro's bedroom to change into her own clothes, grabbing Kamikaze before walking through the threshold.

"Your zanpakuto?!" Ikamura gasped and Saya turned to see him looking wide-eyed and frightened.

Saya leered. "Did you just notice? Hai, Nagasaku destroyed the bracelet and Kamikaze returned to us at that time."

Ikamura swallowed hard. "I will be glad to hold on to that for you, Saya-sama."

She raised and eyebrow. "No, we think we will keep him with us from now on." She shut the door behind her.

* * *

Oshiro stood there, slightly amazed with Saya. He was unaware that she had the ability to act so malevolent towards others when she felt displeased. Her tone of voice and facial expressions were so cold and yet taunting at the same time. As if she dared anyone to oppose her. The way she carried herself, with such confidence, borderline arrogance really, made those who were at the mercy of her condemnation feel small, insignificant.

He was also now aware of the fact that this Saya was the same person as 'Ichijin.' The infamous assassin of the King who was well known for showing no mercy when carrying out his duties. Ichijin was responsible for wiping out at least a dozen clans and sometimes in the most horrific ways. Ichijin had been known for his swordsmanship, along with his atrocious nature. It had been said that Ichijin slaughtered women and children without giving a moment's hesitation.

Hideo shook his head as everything seemed to settle in. His delicate Saya was, in fact, a very feared assassin. He had also witnessed how she had the ability to control a situation and manipulate the circumstances in her favor. Shock, surprise, and dismay were just some of the emotions running through his body. But what astonished him the most was the fact that he was awed by her personality. It was like she could turn a switch from being kind, serene, and patient to ruthless, cold, and even malevolent. He shouldn't have expected anything different from an Imperial Princess, and Hideo only wanted to understand her more.

* * *

_"Saya-sama, are you alright?"_ Hanryo asked, concern painted in his violet orbs.

_"Hai, sometimes I forget that I can be… well, simply mean sometimes. It's as though she was my prey and I wanted to play with her a little before making the kill. It sickens me to think that I actually enjoy behaving like that."_

_"It seems to be part of your nature, Saya-sama."_

_"A disturbing part."_

Saya was a little surprised to see Hanryo laugh a little in the corners of her mind.

_"It's probably your fault anyway, Hanryo."_

_"Perhaps, but I cannot control your inherent disposition."_ He said with a shrug of his shoulders.

Saya smiled; a genuinely this time.

_"You will have a lot to explain to that future husband of yours, Saya-sama."_

She nodded.

_"What secrets will you keep from him?"_

A sigh escaped her lips. _"It's unfair to him, isn't it? He's a good man. I won't keep to many secrets from him. I will tell him the truth… almost the whole truth. My relationship with Juushiro will be kept a secret, but since he must endure that, then I will try not to keep anything else from him. He deserves at least that much. Besides, there would be no protecting Juushiro if anyone else found out."_

Saya cinched her obi and stepped through the door. She found that Ikamura seemed to have regained his composure a bit and she found that frustrating. Shunsui and Juushiro had taken a seat on the couch, with Shunsui enjoying some sake in the process. They each wore their normal faces, as if everything was fine. Despite the events, they were always good at keeping their composure, even if they faltered a bit here and there, one could always look towards the two knowledgeable captains to maintain their poise. Though, Saya was sure Juushiro was struggling to keep up the pretense a bit more than Shunsui.

"We are ready."

"There is one more matter I would like discuss before we leave, Saya-sama."

Saya gave a bored sigh.

"The reason that you were brought here by Nagasaku-sama is because he claimed that you were involved with a Shinigami. He believed it to be Kyouraku-taicho because you shared his name."

Saya cocked her head a bit, giving Ikamura a vacant stare. "What is it you wish to know? Usually a discussion begins with a questions, not a statement."

Ikamura took a deep breath, determined not to be threatened by Saya's cold character. "Are the reasons for why Nagasaku-sama brought you here true?"

"We were adopted into the Kyouraku household during our time here. That is why we shared a name."

"But this man is known for being lecherous…"

"It matters not. Are you suggesting that a man, who in the position of an older brother, took advantage of his younger sister? Kyouraku-taicho may be a lot of things. Dishonorable is not one of them."

Ikamura frowned slightly but wasn't ready to lose this fight as he had the previous.

"Ukitake-taicho then?"

Saya raised an eyebrow. "Are you looking for people to accuse? An esteemed captain like Ukitake-taicho would never take advantage either. I can assure you, Ukitake-taicho never took advantage of me."

Ikamura shifted slightly under the new ferocity of Saya's glare. "Oshiro-sama, did you learn anything that could bring us to a conclusion."

Saya turned a blank gaze to Oshiro who stared back at her with an intent look in his eye. He finally turned to Ikamura. "Saya never mentioned the name of a Shinigami. As far as I'm concerned, it was a misunderstanding on Nagasaku's part."

Saya let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and swallowed hard. _Oshiro… arigatou._

"It's time to leave." Saya said. "You there," she pointed to Souta, "you will escort us out of here through the back way and we will enter the king's realm through our own gateway. The four of you can…"

"No, Saya-sama, as your future husband, I insist that I go with you."

Saya hesitated for a moment. "Very well… you three may return the way you came."

Saya turned to the two captains. Two men she loved more than anyone and bowed slightly. "Thank you for your help. I cannot express how deeply grateful I feel." With that Saya left the home of Juushiro Ukitake. Sure that she would never see him again.

* * *

Juushiro and Shunsui watched Saya walk out the door without giving them another look.

"Interesting, don't you think?" Shunsui asked.

Juushiro nodded and took a deep breath, trying to chase the stress from his body. "Do you think..."

"Hai. I don't think we'll be seeing Saya again. It seems they are intent on keeping her trapped there. They had even suppressed all of her spiritual pressure. Our little Saya must be a very important person and they must feel her crimes very great indeed. But I think that Saya was acting strangely to protect us from. I'm sure of it."

Juushiro nodded. "It is better this way. At least perhaps now I can give up hoping that she will return to me. Saya will be marrying Oshiro-sama. There is no place for me in her future."

Shunsui looked at his friend and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. With the other hand, Shunsui touched the ribbon in his hair with his fingertips. _I really did mean to give this back. I am hoping there will be another opportunity, Imouto._

* * *

Souta, Saya, and Hideo flashed quickly to the hidden gateway in the woods near the outer edges of Rukongai. When they reached the clearing, Saya unsheathed Kamikaze enough to cut her palm.

"Kyouraku-san?"

Saya spun around and saw that Aizen-taicho was there with them in the small field.

She quickly allowed Kamikaze to fall back into his sheath.

_"Saya-sama, tell him to leave you be and return."_

_"What is the matter, Kamikaze? My spiritual pressure was definitely felt by a lot of people and I'm sure many have questions. Aizen-taicho was good to me. It won't take long."_

_"Be quick."_

Saya disregarded Hanryo's negative tone. "Konnichiwa, Aizen-taicho." She said with a slight bow.

Aizen gave a weary smile to the men in the meadow before addressing Saya again. "I felt your presence, yet… Well, it seems to be a bit confusing, hmm? I wanted to see if you were alright. It appears that you won't be staying with us. Are you leaving again?" He gave her a kind smile.

Saya approached him. "No, taicho, I have to be going… back now."

"I understand." Aizen patted her head like he had so many times during her years in the Sereitei. "Please Saya-san, call on me whenever… If you need anything."

"Hai, arigatou, Aizen-taicho. Thank you for your concern and kindness." Saya turned to see Souta looking impatient, even beneath his mask, and Hideo eyeing Aizen suspiciously. She sighed. "I'm sorry to be rude, but I will have to ask you to leave before I can go myself."

Aizen raised his brows, as if surprised. "Yes, of course." Saya watched him turn and a brief memory entered and exited her head before she really had time to process it. She grabbed his sleeve.

"Matte." She whispered.

Aizen turned back around, looking surprised. "Are you alright, Saya-san?"

Saya's brow furrowed a little as she searched for something in his face, her eyes expectant, hoping to find whatever clue she was searching for. Aizen saw she looked a little disheartened when she didn't find whatever it was she was looking for.

"It's nothing. Forgive me, Aizen-taicho. I don't know what got into me."

"It's fine. Please be safe, Saya-san."

Saya nodded and watched as Aizen turned the second time to walk away. For some reason, Saya felt really sad as the distance between them grew.

_"It's beyond me how you could attached to him."_

_"Hanryo!!"_

"Saya-sama, who was that?" Hideo asked.

"He is the captain of the fifth squad, Aizen Sosuke. I looked up to him very much during my time here."

Saya once again removed Kamikaze enough so that she could cut her palm. The warm liquid oozed from her wound and dripped onto the blades of grass below.

"Saya-sama! What are you doing?!" Hideo asked, the horror showing in his face.

Saya placed her palm on the gateway and allowed her blood to open the portal. She gave a slight smile. "It seems I'm always paying for my sins."

* * *

Aizen watched, hidden from sight, as the three entered through the gateway which he knew led to the king's realm.

"Ne, Aizen-taicho, looks like you was right, Lil' Saya had her spiritual pressure virtually taken away."

Aizen turned to see the familiar smile of Ichimaru.

"Don' think she'll be givin' 'em up so easy this time, do ya?" Gin asked, his smile only growing wider.

"No, probably not. But it won't make a difference if she has her power or not. It never has." Aizen looked at the now empty clearing before turning to head back to the Sereitei. "Let's go, Gin."

* * *

That night Saya met Souta in the woods, and he held her while she wept into his shoulder.

"Saya-sama, you will be alright."

"I think that I had been fooling myself these years. Deep inside I was hoping that something would work out. I was hoping that I would be with Juushiro after all. And now I will be forced to marry Hideo."

"He is a good man, you said so yourself."

"Hai, but he's not Juushiro."

Souta held her tighter as her sobs increased once more. He was at a loss as to what to do or what to say in order to help her feel better. In the end, Souta wasn't sure anything he could do would help. But he decided to try one last thing to distract her and possibly buy her a little more time.

"Saya… they are still arguing about taking Kamikaze away again, correct?"

"Huh?" Saya said between sobs. "Hai. They want to suppress my spiritual pressure again, well, some of them. I don't think I helped my case with the way I teased Ikamura-san."

"Hmm… well, they want you to marry Oshiro-sama for the sake of providing and heir, right?"

"Yes. What are you getting at?" Saya said, a little confused but her tears had eased up and Souta was glad to see that his plan was working.

"It takes a great amount of spiritual pressure in order to conceive a child. You could argue that you may not be able to conceive without access to your zanpakuto spirit."

"Souta! I don't think that's really what I want to hear right now."

"No, just listen to me. If you argue that you may not be able to fulfill that part of your duties, then they probably won't suppress your reitsu anymore."

_"He has a point. It's worth trying."_ Kamikaze said. Saya could see how excited he looked at the possibility of Souta's plan working.

"Furthermore, you might be able to ask to postpone the wedding until you have regained your full power. That way, when you do conceive, there's no chance that the child you have will be 'weak.'"

Saya began to see Souta's point.

"It might buy you some time, at least, until you can think of another plan to get what you truly want." Souta said with a wink.

"Hai! Souta-kun!" Saya wrapped her arms around his neck and nearly knocked him over. "What would I do without you?"

Souta smiled and gave a shrug.

"This plan will definitely work." Saya said. Even if it just prolonged her unpromising hope for a little while longer, Saya was happy to cling to even just a few fleeting moments where she believed she might be able to have a future with Juushiro.

* * *

**Author's Note: **A big thank you to Fefisgbf13, the holy see, JuJuJellyBean, Gimlet, Sorry Charlie, ebonydays, HaloteveCV, Hikara-hime, I'llxBetxUrxEngima2010, rukia23, Alguem, Ms. Dragon, SemperVenice, Kairi-senpai, and cheeky half-demon for posting your reviews. I'm super happy to receive them!

I hope that this follow up chapter was okay... it was actually really hard for me to write. I originally had it one way in my head, then when I started writing it didn't feel right. So I started writing a second version, more of a skeletal outline than anything, then going back and filling it all in. Thank you Sorry Charlie, she gave me some really good advice and I was able to (at least) muddle through with the chapter. Oh! I have to give a shout out to **Sorry Charlie** b/c she wrote an awesome ShunsuixOC oneshot for me by request called **"How High the Moon."** I love it so I'm sure all of you will too! Also, if you're looking for an interesting new Byakuya story, check out the holy see's profile.

Please feel free to post! Thank you!


	41. Chapter 41: Time Approaching

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or anything that has to do with the Bleach franchise.

**A/N:** There are a couple of time skips within this chapter, not huge ones... but one character makes a reference to a certain time frame and another makes a reference to another period of time. It's not a mistake, just another jump. Hope that makes sense! Please enjoy the chapter!

* * *

_"My goodness they like to argue."_

_"Give them some time, Saya-sama. If you seem too impatient it will only work against you. I really don't want to be separated from you again."_

_"Nor do I, Kamikaze."_

Saya sighed and struggled to keep her composure as the cabinet members bickered with each other over her proposal. Some of the members, including Chairman Ikamura, argued that Saya should not be allowed to keep her zanpakuto and that her spiritual pressure should continued to be suppressed. Others argued that Saya had accepted her punishment gracefully, and now that she had agreed to marry Oshiro-sama, she should be allowed full access to her powers.

"But she makes a good point, Ikamura-sama, it takes a lot of reitsu in order to even conceive a child. If her spiritual pressure is suppressed, she might not able to provide an heir."

"Oshiro-sama has enough spiritual pressure that he should have no problem fathering a child." Ikamura argued.

"Yes, but Naishinnou-sama will be the one to carry it. It matters not if he can father a child if she is not able to carry and protect it. Besides, the child itself may not be born with a great spiritual pressure if it does not have access to the full strength of both parents."

Saya sat patiently and concentrated on keeping her face calm and composed. Inside she was smirking to herself, knowing that she had the majority of the cabinet members on her side. All the discussion seemed merely for argument sake at this point. But one thing that worried Saya was that her grandfather had sat silently throughout the entire discussion and seemed to be analyzing the situation in his own way. The hard stare that she received from him didn't go unnoticed.

_"Here's to years and years of practice. 'Saya, sit still.' 'Saya, don't show any emotion. 'Saya, remain calm.' If it hadn't been for that I think I would have cracked by now."_

_"You're doing fine, Saya-sama."_

Saya chuckled to herself without moving a muscle. While she was sitting calm and composed, Hanryo was fidgeting if and when he stopped pacing long enough to sit down.

_"You're going trod down the grass there if you don't stop it."_ Saya chided.

She could see his wily smirk. _"Just because Saya-sama has to be poised doesn't mean that I have to be."_

_"Yes, but it would be easier if you were. I don't remember ever seeing you this nervous before."_

_"I don't want to be separated again. The first time was because you were hurt and too weak. That was different; it was like waiting for you to build yourself up again. This time, it was like being suffocated_, _or having two tons worth of mud pressing down upon me so that I couldn't function. I worked hard for you to hear me even the slightest."_

_"Hanryo… I'm so sorry. I didn't realize it was…"_

_"Let's just not let it happen again."_

Saya could see the forlorn look on his face as he sat down underneath their tree. Kamikaze had suffered so much and she was sensing the emotions he had felt during the time he had been suppressed. Saya wanted to vomit and cry at the same time.

He smiled. _"Forgive me Saya-sama, I hadn't wanted you to experience it too."_

Saya nodded, still feeling upset.

"We've reached a decision."

Saya's head snapped towards the king. His strong voice could quiet even the noisiest of rooms.

"Saya-naishinnou will be allowed to keep her zanpakuto from now on under the assumption that she will need her full strength in order to conceive, carry, and birth a gifted child. She will be allowed to train to improve her skills beginning tomorrow. Furthermore, we will officially announce the engagement between the princess and Prince Oshiro. The wedding will take place after Saya-hime has regained her bankai."

A few murmurs were heard in the crowd with most people agreeing that it was a reasonable decision. Those that disagreed with the King knew better to speak and kept their thoughts to themselves. Saya allowed herself the smallest smile.

"Saya-hime, we would like to speak with you privately for a moment. The cabinet may be excused."

"Hai, Your Majesty." They all said in unison. Saya placed her hands on the floor and bowed so that her forehead met them. It wasn't until she had heard each member leave before she raised herself up again.

"I will personally check on your progress to see if you are making gains towards your bankai. I will know if you are purposely holding back, do you understand?"

"Yes, Ojii-sama."

"There is no more avoiding the inevitable, Saya. I have been allowing you to get away with not marrying because I was hoping that you would choose someone you loved. But after the incident with Nagasaku, I do not wish to wait any longer. Besides, even if you do still love this shinigami of yours, I also believe you find Hideo suitable."

Saya nodded. "I understand. Yes, Oshiro-sama is a good man. I find him agreeable."

Saya's grandfather quirked a white eyebrow at her. "I dare say, Saya, if you weren't so set on that other man, you would probably even say you loved Oshiro, ne?"

"Perhaps you're right, ojii-sama." Saya gave a weak smile.

The old man gave Saya a sad sort of grin. "At least give Prince Oshiro a fighting chance, will you? I'm sure if you let him, he will make you a very happy woman. You're excused, Saya."

"Thank you, ojii-sama."

* * *

"Hime-sama, I heard the news earlier today, about our engagement and future wedding." Oshiro said as he gave Saya a timid look. "Are you… happy?"

Saya smiled at him. "Ne, Oshiro-sama, why don't you call me by my name now? I think our little adventure together allows for that. You are to be my husband, you shouldn't call me by my title anymore, especially now that my face no longer needs to be covered when we're together."

Oshiro smiled. _She didn't really answer my question, though she doesn't sound sad. _"Then I must insist that you call me Hideo as well."

"Hideo-dono for now, until we're married." _See, ojii-sama? I am trying._

He smiled and nodded. "So, you are going to achieve bankai?"

"Mmm… I was able to utilize my bankai a long time ago, but since my accident, I've only reached shikai." Saya paused for a moment. "Ne, Hideo-dono, would you help me?"

"Nani?" He wasn't expecting that.

Saya laughed a little at his reaction. "Didn't you once say to me that you would like to engage in a friendly fight with Ichijin? Well, I am Ichijin and I am asking for your help."

Oshiro first looked surprised then smiled. "Hai, I will be honored to help."

"Arigatou."

The two sat quietly for a few moments, neither really knowing what to say or how to act at that point.

"It's actually hard for me to believe. Well, maybe not so hard." Hideo said.

"What's hard for you to believe?" Saya asked.

"Well, that you're really Ichijin. But in a way, and please don't take offense to this, Saya-dono, you were quite chilling that day in Ukitake-taicho's home. So I suppose I could see how you could be the same person."

Saya gave a solemn smile. "Yes, I know. I am not so proud of the way I always handled those situations. But at the same time, thinking back, I acted solely on how I thought it would most benefit the king. I'm sure that if I had thought becoming a malicious assassin would keep him safest, then that is how I behaved. However, I can't deny that this malevolence that I portray isn't a part of my nature. It clearly is because I revert back to that manner whenever I am in that sort of situation." Saya looked away, losing herself in her thoughts.

"It's okay, Saya-dono."

Now it was Saya's turn to look surprised.

"We can't often help our make-up. If it is part of your nature then I accept it. Saya-dono is not like that all the time, but only when the situation calls for it, so it seems. No one can fault you for that."

Saya blinked a few times as his words set in. "Thank you, Hideo-dono. That is kind of you to say."

In the back of her mind, Saya saw Hanryo smiling at Hideo's words.

_"This pretty prince is a smart one."_

Saya sighed inwardly. _"Are you really starting with _that_ again?"_

* * *

"Captain, is there anything else I can do for you today?"

Kyouraku Shunsui tipped his hat slightly to see his fukutaicho giving him an annoyed look. Most likely because she had done all the paperwork, attended a Lieutenant's meeting, and organized the squad's next training session while her captain had napped on the roof for most of the day. Shunsui immediately gave her a goofy grin. "No no, my Nanao-chan works too hard as it is! Maybe I should help you relax, my little Nanao, how about a shoulder rub? OUCH!" Shunsui started rubbing the bridge of his nose. _Damn tome._

"Then I'll be heading back to my quarters. Good night, sir."

Shunsui waved excitedly at her retreating figure, but once again laid down with his hands folded behind his head once she was out of sight. It had been three months since Saya said had come and gone. Even though she tried to be strong during that time, Shunsui could easily read all of her emotions. It was easy enough for him to see that she wanted to be in the Sereitei, with him and Juushiro, but that she felt she had to return. Shunsui was also able to tell that she did have feelings for that Oshiro, but that her feelings for Juushiro were stronger and obscured her judgment when it came to the other man.

He sighed as he thought back on her intimidation of the chairman and his daughter. Shunsui was hoping that Saya was in a position where she wouldn't be punished for antagonizing someone so close to the king.

_But clearly Saya is someone important as well. I wonder just how important? Surely she's not an actual member of the royal family, they would have found her years ago. No, she wouldn't have even been allowed out of the king's realm. But she obviously has some sort of connection to them. I'm guessing she was a ranking officer in the king's guard perhaps? She made a slight reference to it and it would explain her interesting fighting style._

Shunsui allowed himself a bemused smile.

"Captain Kyouraku?"

Shunsui slowly sat up and saw that a worried looking third seat was addressing him.

"My my, you're looking pretty today. What can I help you with, Kiyone-chan?" He looked around. "Where is your counterpart?"

"I… I came here alone because Sentarou said to leave it be and that it was none of my business." Kiyone looked down at her feet and shifted her weight from side to side.

Kyouraku gave her a reassuring smile. "Did he now? What is it that is none of your business and that you should leave alone?" Though he had an idea of what it could be.

"It's just that Ukitake-taicho… even though he smiles all the time and is always kind to people he seems… he seems so sad lately. I know it has something to do with Saya-sama. I felt her spiritual pressure for the first time in decades just a few months ago, and then it disappeared again. It's been since then that Ukitake-taicho hasn't quite been himself." Kiyone blushed, knowing that it was probably none of her business anyway.

Kyouraku met her with kind eyes. "Didn't you say that your captain was smiling and nice to everyone? He is a strong man, a good man. Don't worry about him, Kiyone; you worry about him enough on a day-to-day basis as it is. Just leave everything to me." Shunsui said with a wink.

"Uh… hai. Thank you, Kyouraku-taicho." She blushed.

"Go on back to your division. I'm sure you're needed."

With a nod and a slight bow, Kiyone flashed away and Shunsui was left alone with his thoughts once again. Kiyone hadn't told him anything he didn't already know, but there was only so much others could do. He knew Juushiro was upset at seeing Saya and discovering that she would be married to someone else, but Shunsui also believed in the strength of his friend.

But even so, Shunsui decided to pay his old friend a visit. A little support, and perhaps some good sake, never hurt anyone.

* * *

With an ungraceful "plop" Saya sat down after a rather painful kendo session with Hideo.

"Saya-dono, you're getting better." He said with a smile on his face.

She threw a scabbard at him.

"What was that for?" He said after catching it with ease.

"You think you'd be nicer to your future wife." She said while rubbing her sore shoulder. Hideo had landed a very hard hit with a wooden practice sword and it had been aching ever since. Taking a quick peek under her shirt, Saya noticed it was already black and blue.

"It's only because I want you to get stronger faster." He said with a huge smile plastered on his face. Hideo was happy that Saya had seemed to open up to him over the past year. He was sure that after the incident in the Shinigami realm, that she would have tried to push him away, but the opposite seemed to be true. Though she often drew back at the slightest bit of physical affection, as she hadn't let him kiss her anywhere other than her temple or cheek. Other than the name of the man she was in love with, which Hideo hoped he had taken the place of, Saya was very honest with him. She was completely candid about her punishment and why she received it, the memories she regained, and even about her time in the Sereitei. Whatever he asked, Saya would tell him, save for the one thing he really wanted to know.

"Hideo-dono, what is it that you're thinking about?" Saya asked.

"You." He smiled at the blush that tinted her cheeks. "Lay down, I'll heal that shoulder for you."

Doing as she was told, Saya lay down on the mat and closed her eyes. A moment later she felt the warm healing powers of Hideo's kidou as it engulfed and soothed her aching shoulder.

"Thank you, I already feel better." Saya said quietly.

But what happened next took her by surpised. Hideo was sitting on her hips and had her hands pinned to her sides. When she looked up at him, he was giving her a kind smile. "Wh… what are you doing?"

"I want to kiss you, Saya." Hideo sighed when he felt her go rigid below him; her face taking on an anxious look. _Just as I expected, she's probably wondering how she can avoid me_ _this time._

"Hideo-dono… I." Saya wasn't sure what to do or say as she struggled to combat opposite emotions. On one had, she had always found Hideo incredibly attractive, and the fact that he was peering over her with a smile on his face wasn't helping. On the other hand, she still hoped that she could keep her promise to Juushiro and that she might even be reunited with him. _If he'll even have me after all of this._

Hideo started to bend forward, as he came closer, some of his long hair fell over his shoulders and tickled Saya's cheeks and collar bone. Her breathing became a little heavy as she shut her eyes.

Surprise hit her once more when she felt Hideo lay his head on her chest. "Hideo-dono?"

"Shhh… Your heart is beating so fast." He then nuzzled into the crook of her neck, giving her a peck on her jawline before he drew himself up and placed his forehead on hers. The ends of their noses were touching and their lips were so close together. "I don't know why it is you are so amicable and warm with me all of the time, then when I try to show you my love in a physical way, you became cold and timid."

Saya's eyes widened and she tried to draw back from Hideo, but was unable to since she was laying flat on the floor. "Hi…Hideo-dono..." She whispered. He brushed his lips slightly over hers that sent a delightful shiver down her spine. She both enjoyed the feeling while bits of guilt flashed through her.

It came as a bit of a surprise when she found herself slightly disappointed that Hideo stopped, and a little perturbed to see an amused smirk on his face when she opened her eyes.

"I knew it couldn't be that you didn't want me. So it's something else that's stopping you. I could easily guess as to what it is." Hideo stopped for a few moments. "I will wait until our wedding night to claim you. But please understand that I fully plan on doing so and I won't be denied. I don't say this with any sort of malice or threat, Saya-dono. I'm simply saying this as a man who is hoping that his _wife_ will accept his love."

Saya nodded and understood that he spoke the truth. Hideo's words, his tone were spoken with such sincerity and a certain earnest that she knew was genuine. "Hai." She whispered.

Hideo beamed at her and gave a chaste peck on her forehead. "Then I'm looking forward to your achieving your bankai." With that he stood up and pulled Saya up as well, still amused by the blush that painted her cheeks.

Saya bowed and started to retreat towards her quarters to ready herself for dinner.

_"The pretty prince knows how to tease you, ne?"_

_"Shut it, Hanryo."_

_"My my, how testy my Saya-sama is today. You're not mad at him, are you?"_

_"No, a bit mad at myself. I don't want to break my promise to Juushiro and it's still him that I love the most."_

_"Saya-sama… you made that promise under the assumption that you would be living in the Sereitei for the rest of you life."_

_"I know that, but is it so wrong to want to stay true to my word?"_

_"You were willing to give up your promise to Souta-kun, about always remaining by each other's side."_

_"That's entirely different."_

_"Is it? All I'm saying is that no one would fault you for not keeping a promise that is unfeasible. Not even the pretty taicho."_

_"I don't really want to talk about this anymore, Hanryo."_

_"Just think about it, Saya-sama, that's all I'm asking and think of Hideo's feelings as well."_

* * *

Saya's brow furrowed as she looked at the report in front of her.

_"Kuchiki Rukia, of the thirteenth division, has gone missing in the Material World. It is suspected that she has committed the crime of transferring her Soul Reaper powers to a human. Yamamoto-soutaicho, by request of Division 46, has ordered Kuchiki-taicho and and his fukutaicho, Abarai Renji, to find and retrieve the criminal. Punishment will be decided at the time Kuchiki-san is returned to the Soul Society."_

Saya read the statement over and over.

_"Juushiro will be worried over this. I wonder if this is true? Did she really transfer her powers to a human? And who is this human that could live through such a thing instead of die? In the past, other soul reapers have attempted to pass on their powers to human souls, and every human died in the process… how could he live?"_

_"Perhaps this is no ordinary human, Saya-sama? It is possible for humans to be gifted with great spiritual pressure as well."_

_"I know, but it just seems impossible. Hmmm… I wonder how Byakuya-sama is reacting to this? He's probably following orders and going by the rules, but I doubt he wants to see his adopted sister punished. I guess we will see how it plays out."_

_"Hai."_

Saya put the report down on her desk and closed her eyes so that she could get a better look at Kamikaze's face. His purple eyes seemed to be hiding a secret that she wanted to know too.

"_Ne, Kamikaze, what is it?"_

There was something wicked about his smile. _"Why don't we start working a little harder on achieving your Bankai?"_

* * *

**Author's Note:** If anyone wants to know what I think Oshiro looks like, check out Jinguu Makato from Love Celeb. Though I picture Oshiro to be a little "softer" in that he's nicer looking. Also, just a reminder that Kamikaze's looks were based off of Kumoi Shiro (what's up with me and the Shiros?)

Thank you to fefisgbf13, hikara-hime, sorry charlie, rukia23, the holy see, I'llxBexUrxEnigma2010, halotevecv, gimlet, and cheeky half demon for posting. I would appreciate it everyone took the time now to leave a review.

Sorry if this chapter is a little slow. I wanted to get in a bit of a "filler" as I approach the man story line. (Holy crap, I'm there!)

Please review.


	42. Chapter 42: An Infiltration

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or anything that has to do with the Bleach franchise.

* * *

"Are you trying to kill me?"

"No, Saya-sama."

"It seems like it! I hope you know that if I die, you die too."

Kamikaze gave Saya one of his more iniquitous smiles and flashed out of her sight. Her eyes widened when she realized she couldn't see his movements, suddenly he was right behind her. She barely had time to dodge his blade. It wasn't a graceful move on her part, but at least she managed to only receive a shallow cut and was out of the reach of his sword.

She thought.

Saya groaned as she was kicked to the floor, rolling several times before landing on her back. Her attempt to get on her feet wasn't fast enough and she was roughly thrown back; Kamikaze standing above her with his sword at her throat.

Saya couldn't help but feel frightened and the fast and hard pace of her breathing reflected the panic she felt inside.

Kamikaze shook his head. "That will be enough for today."

Saya sighed and sat up.

Kamikaze gazed at her through sad eyes. "Don't look at me like that, Saya-sama. Why are you so frightened? Am I not a part of you? If you are afraid of taking total control, you will never regain your bankai."

"It's just that… You are rather frightening, Kamikaze."

He smirked. "Did not others say that about you when you battled?"

Kamikaze observed his master for a few moments, taking in her feelings as though they were his own.

"Saya-sama, it's not strength you lack, it's the confidence. You simply have to remember."

"I don't know why you're making it so hard." It was obvious that Saya was feeling frustrated at inability to regain her bankai. "You've obviously submitted to me before, and you always seem so willing to obey. Why now do you test me?"

"Power and strength cannot be given, Saya-sama, they must be earned. What use is power if you cannot control it? Why do you have strength if you cannot use it?"

"Hmpf." Saya turned her head away from her zanpakuto spirit, but realized what he was saying, and that he was right. He usually was.

Kamikaze gave her a sweet smile. "Go get healed, Saya-sama. Go visit your pretty prince; I'm sure he'll want to know how training went today. We'll begin again tomorrow."

Saya allowed her spiritual pressure to drop enough that Kamikaze was no longer materialized in her world and he returned to the serene calm of her inner world. Even though she was far worse of the two, Saya couldn't help but notice that Kamikaze immediately went to rest under their tree.

It didn't take but a minute before Souta opened the door to the training gym that Saya had claimed as she trained for her Bankai. He gave her a short smile.

"You're getting stronger, Saya-sama. You were able to keep Kamikaze materialized for longer this time. Whew, you wouldn't believe how forceful your reitsu can be, a couple of the palace maids fainted under the stress."

Saya was surprised. "Really? I didn't know. I will have to control myself."

"You're working towards bankai, Saya-sama, everyone understands." He waved a hand dismissively.

She nodded.

Souta ran his eyes over her body and saw all of the new cuts and scrapes she had received from her zanpakuto that day. "Kamikaze sure is fierce."

"You have no idea." Saya agreed. "It hurts, being cut by your own blade."

Souta laughed a little and helped her off of the ground, allowing Saya to lean on his shoulder as he walked her to the medical ward.

"Arigatou, Souta-kun."

"No problem." He picked her up and placed her on one of the medical tables.

"Saya-dono, you're improving quickly." Hideo entered the room and his eyes seemed to be beaming with excitement. Saya couldn't help but beam back.

Souta rolled his own but smiled down at her. "I'll leave you two alone." He bowed and left.

Hideo sat beside Saya, taking her hand in his. "Tell me how it went today."

Saya smiled and started to give him the details while one of the palace healers worked over her body, silently chanting restoration kidos. Saya learned from the first few days of her training that Hideo would not be happy unless he was told about every new scrape, scar, and bruise she received. He sat there, enthralled by every word that she spoke.

"You should be okay to leave now, Hime-sama."

Saya looked at the medic who had healed. "Thank you, sir. I'm sorry that you have to work so much here recently because of me."

The old man smiled at her. "No, Hime-sama, I am honored to heal you every night."

Chuckling slightly, Saya hopped down from the table and followed Hideo out of the medical ward.

"Ne, Hideo-dono, where are we going?"

"I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of ordering a private dinner for just the two of us. We'll be dining in one of the gardens."

"Do I have time to clean up?" Saya asked. Even though her body felt healed, Saya felt dirty and in serious need of a bath.

Hideo turned around with an amused grin. "I suppose so. I'll come to collect you in an hour."

Saya nodded and left to go clean up before dinner.

* * *

"Are you alright, Saya-dono? You're a bit distant tonight."

"Huh?" Saya broke out of her trance. "Oh, hai… I'm just frustrated is all. I would like to regain my bankai and it's upsetting that it's taking me longer than I thought."

"Yes but, you've only really started training. Give yourself time."

"It's not that, I think because I know that I already possessed it at one point. It's like… relearning to walk. It's a skill that you had and then lost, so it's more frustrating the second time around."

Hideo smiled at Saya and she felt herself blush.

"Ne, Hideo-dono, what is it?"

"I'm glad that you're trying to so hard, that's all."

"Why, does it surprise you?"

"A little." He smirked. "I was afraid that you would try to slow down the process because of what it meant for us. But to see you working so hard, it makes me think that you don't mind the thought of marrying me."

Saya blushed. "Hideo-dono… To be honest, the thought of marrying you was never… I never thought it would be bad. I'm, uh, nervous about what happens… when, um… two people get married."

Saya was startled when she heard Hideo laughing at her.

"It's not funny, Hideo-dono, please don't laugh at me!"

"You're right, I'm sorry. So it's the wedding night that makes you nervous?"

Saya blushed more and was happy that their dinner was, in fact, just the two of them.

"H…Hai." She whispered. Saya took to staring intently at her plate; she could feel Hideo's gaze and knew that he was analyzing her in that moment.

"Saya-dono, forgive me, but… I didn't think that you were… untouched. Could I have been mistaken?"

Saya recognized the slightly hopeful tone in Hideo's voice when asking that question and felt horribly that she had to ruin it. "No, you are not mistaken. I'm nervous because I had made a promise to… him."

"I see." His tone had gone rather flat.

Saya looked up to see that Hideo wasn't looking at her and had an irritated look on his face. "Please look at me, Hideo." She waited until his eyes met hers before continuing. "After the incident with Nagasaku-sama and I came back here with you, I resolved then that I would be your wife and that I wouldn't keep anything… else… from you. I thought that Hideo-dono deserved a good wife that would be good to him and cherish him. Actually, I have grown quite fond of Hideo-sama. You, who has accepted me and put up with my misgivings and secrets, how can I deny such a man?

"At first I was thinking, 'I must keep the promise I made.' But then time passed and I started to think differently; if that promise only brings me pain and pain to the ones that I care for, then it is not a very good promise. It would also keep me from carrying out the promise to be your wife, your partner. In all honesty, I think I will be happy being Hideo-dono's wife."

Saya suddenly felt herself being pulled up and into a tight embrace. She could hear how fast Hideo's heart was beating and noted that hers, too, was thumping quickly in her throat.

Hideo placed a finger under her chin and forced her to look up at him as he bent down to meet her lips with his. He hesitated slightly, but then gave her a gentle kiss, which quickly turned passionate. Shivers raced through Saya's spine and a heat built in her stomach. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders before Hideo pulled away. He placed his forehead on hers and they both were silent except for their heavy breathing.

"There, I broke my promise." He said.

Saya looked up at him confused. "What promise?"

"I said I wouldn't touch you until our wedding night, but I couldn't help it after you said those words to me. It's your fault, really."

Saya smiled up at him and Hideo gently caressed her neck and jawbone with his fingertips, causing goosebumps to form on Saya's skin.

He smirked. "I knew it couldn't be because you didn't want me."

* * *

_"The pretty prince seems to be a good kisser and it seems to have made quite and impression on you. Saya-sama is still thinking about it. Be careful, I can tell you're getting yourself all hot and -"_

_"Shut it, Kamikaze!"_

Saya heard him laugh and then he pretended to be interested in one of the foxgloves within his reach. However, what Kamikaze said was true. Saya hadn't been able to stop thinking about Hideo since he had kissed her that evening. She twisted and turned in bed, kicked off the covers only to pull them back over her again.

"Gggggrrrrrrr!" Saya kicked and wiggled in her bed and ignored the curious look that Kamikaze threw her from the corners of her mind.

Sighing and closing her eyes, Saya attempted to force all thoughts out of her head.

Two seconds later her bare feet hit the cold wooden floors of her room and she quietly made her way to the door, then down the hallway to staircase that would lead her to the floor above.

She moved quickly, silently, staying in the shadows so that she wouldn't be easily seen if someone happened to be awake. Constantly reaching out with her reitsu, Saya felt for any other people that might spot her, but the halls were deserted.

She quietly stole into the room that was her destination and closed the door behind her. Not sure what she was doing, Saya leaned against the door and stared at the other person in the room. He was asleep, so it seemed. Saya blushed at the sight of his bare chest and she watched it raise and lower in a hypnotizing pattern. His breathing was smooth, quiet, soothing.

Tiptoeing over to Hideo's bed, Saya then stopped at the edge and looked at his sleeping face.

_He looks so peaceful, beautiful… WHAT AM I DOING?!_

Saya told herself to turn away, to make her way back to her room, but her body seemed to move itself forward. Her heart was racing as she placed a knee on the bed, using her hands to help her balance. Her breathing quickened as she moved closer to the man in the bed.

Hideo's eyes shot open and he grabbed Saya, one hand on her wrist and the other on near the elbow of her opposite arm. He pulled her as he twisted his torso at the same time so that he ended up on top of her, pinning her body beneath his.

Saya swallowed hard. "Hideo!" She whispered, almost frantic. She chastised herself. It hadn't occurred to her that he might think that he was being attacked. But when she looked up into his face she saw a smirk.

His lips grazed her forehead, then her jawline, and finally he kissed her collarbone as well.

"It is your fault that we won't be waiting for our wedding night. I have often thought of how wonderful it would be to claim you, but I think you giving yourself to me is even more enticing." Hideo nipped at Saya's ear.

She blushed as she felt her body heat rising. His lips were so soft yet his kisses were a little firm with the passion he felt.

"You can only blame yourself." He said again.

Saya nodded.

Hideo's lips once again claimed Saya's as he ran his fingers up and down her arms and over the outside of her thin sleeping kimono. She moaned at his touch and brought her own hands up and entangle her fingers in his long hair. It was obvious to Saya that Hideo was enjoying himself as well and she could feel his excitement pressing against her thigh through his night hakama.

Taking his hand and tracing down her front, Hideo's nimble fingers quickly untied her obi and moved the fabric covering her body aside. He stopped a moment to take in her naked flesh that was now exposed to him.

"So beautiful." He whispered as he started tracing the outlines of her old scars with his tongue.

Saya blushed and turned her face away.

"Don't do that, I want to see your expressions." Hideo said as he brought her face back to his and began kissing her once again. He pulled her kimono off the rest of the way and quickly threw it over the side of the bed.

Saya once again lost herself in his caresses and wrapped her arms around his neck pulling herself closer to him. She elicited a moan from Hideo when she ran her nails down his back and then to his hakama. She loosed them and started to push them down, Hideo quickly followed her lead and helped her remove them.

Roughly pushing her back down onto bed, Hideo starting kissing the sensitive place just below her ear. Saya gasped with pleasure and she felt Hideo smirk against her skin. She couldn't help but get lost in the delight Hideo's touches brought her. A familiar burn started in the pit of her stomach as the aching between her legs grew more fervent.

"Hideo…" She breathed.

She squirmed when she felt his lips kissing and gently biting her breasts as one of his hands lightly scratched down her side, her hip, teasing her thigh and then making its way to her warmth.

She moaned louder when she felt two of his fingers gently rub inside of her, beckoning her closer to ultimate pleasure.

Both parties breathed heavily and exchanged pleasure filled moans as each other's hands explored the other. Saya thought she might lose her mind if her body didn't soon find the release it needed.

"Hideo… stop teasing." Saya said through labored breath. She opened her legs wider so that Hideo could settle between them and she used her hand to guide him to her entrance.

It was surprising to Saya that it hurt a little at first, but as Hideo began rocking, pleasure was the only thing that her body felt. Panting as she pulled at his hair and scratched his back, Saya allowed herself to be completely filled with Hideo. He too, was consumed by the feeling of Saya and they both found bliss together as their bodies became one.

Hideo collapsed on to Saya's chest and she wrapped her arms around him. Their heavy breathing filled the would-be silence that followed their passionate bout of lovemaking.

"I knew it couldn't be because you didn't want me." Saya smiled at Hideo's words and nuzzled into him.

* * *

_"I don't care that you're tired. It's your own fault, Saya-sama; now wake up. Do you want to be discovered in the pretty prince's bed? Although you are to be married, you shouldn't be in here. You'll disgrace your ojii-sama."_

Saya squeezed her eyes tightly before blinking them several times to try to chase the tiredness away. She sighed and started to get out of bed when she felt and arm snake its way around her waist, pulling her back into bed.

"Where are you running off to? I think I rather like waking up with you beside me."

Saya blushed a little. "Kamikaze is yelling at me to get on with my training. I should get started. Besides, it would not be good if we were caught together. For all purposes, we must still keep up appearances."

Hideo nodded, pulled Saya down to him to give her a kiss and then pretended to shove her out of bed.

"Hey, what's that for?" She joked.

"Bankai… go achieve your bankai." He smirked. "Besides, I don't have to wake up just yet."

Thankfully the sun was only just rising, but Saya knew that staff would be awake and roaming the corridors. She managed to make her way back to her room without getting caught by anyone outside. She dressed herself and then started towards the gigantic dojo.

_"How do you feel this morning, Saya-sama?"_

Saya was quiet for a few moments as she thought over her actions. _"Although there is some guilt about breaking my promise to Juushiro, I honestly believe that he would want me to be happy and wouldn't want me to make others suffer on account of him."_

_"I'm glad you feel that way, Saya-sama. Even though I, too, highly favor your pretty taicho, the pretty prince is man deserving of you."_

_"Thank you, Kamikaze."_

* * *

"Aaaahhhh!" Saya screamed as she went flying backwards and hit one of the pillars, falling hard on her stomach as she hit the ground. She grunted as she sprung up, performing a sort of front hand spring in the process and managed to turn to block one of Kamikaze's attacks. She flicked her wrist and tossed his blade off of her own. This gave Saya the opening she was waiting for, and she slashed her blade across Kamikaze's chest.

Saya smirked, knowing she landed a hit.

"Don't get too cocky, Saya-sama."

Saya's eyes widened as Kamikaze flashed and reappeared behind her. Placing her blade across her back, Saya successfully blocked his attack.

"I can see you." She said. Saya turned her body slashed at Kamikaze repeatedly. Though he managed to successfully dodge most of her swings, Saya managaed to land a couple more hits.

But Saya froze when she was graced with one of Kamikaze's more ferocious glares. The next thing she knew she was falling backwards. She expected to hit the floor hard but instead fell into a pair of arms.

"Kamikaze?" Saya said, shocked that he had caught her. Her hand automatically went to cover the large gash on her stomach.

"That's enough for today, Saya-sama."

She nodded and watched as Kamikaze dissolved back into her. Saya noticed the bleeding slowed a little when he returned to her inner world. But the world around her started to grow dark as she approached unconsciousness.

"Saya! Saya!" Hideo threw open the doors and ran over to his fiancé. He had felt the drop in her spiritual pressure and had interrupted his own training to go to her. Picking her up bridal style, Hideo rushed to the medical ward clutching Saya closely. Even though he knew that her zanpakuto wouldn't mortally wound her, Hideo couldn't help but worry as Saya lay limply in his arms.

* * *

"Oto-san! Oto-san! I've picked these flowers for you! Do you like them?"

"Hai, my little Saya, how could I not?"

Saya felt herself being hoisted and placed on her father's shoulders so that she could only see the top of his head with his brown hair. He turned circles quickly and Saya giggled and giggled.

"Oto-san, don't let me fall!"

"Don't worry, Saya-chan, you can always trust your oto-san. I will never let you fall."

* * *

"Saya-sama?"

"Saya-dono?"

She opened her eyes to see Souta and Hideo looking down at her with odd looks on their faces. "What?"

"Why are you laughing?" Souta asked.

Saya quirked an eyebrow. "I was dreaming about my father. We were playing. It's been so long since I've had a dream like that." She looked out the window of the medical ward, which overlooked one of the many gardens within the palace.

Hideo sat on the edge of her bed, "Saya-dono, are you feeling alright?"

She nodded. "Fine actually. The healers must have worked fast." She turned back to the two men. "Souta-kun, shouldn't you be collecting the report from the Chamber Forty-six for me? It should be ready today."

"Uh, hai Saya-sama, about that."

Saya sat quietly as she waited for him to continue.

"I went and there was no answer. It seems that ryoka have infiltrated Rukongai and Central Forty-six has shut itself off from any outside contact."

Saya's eyes went wide. "Nani? How could ryoka manage to come here?" Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Souta-kun, please inform His Majesty that I am requesting an audience with him. You and Hideo-dono will attend with me."

"Hai." Souta flashed and Saya started to get out of bed.

"Let me help you." Hideo wrapped his arm around Saya's waist to help steady her while she found her balance.

She blushed. "Thank you, Hideo."

He gave her a small kiss on her temple. "Let's make our way to the King."

* * *

"Your Majesty, I am requesting permission to enter the Soul Society and obtain information on the alleged ryoka that have managed to break in. I would also like to go to the Central Forty-six and personally assess the situation there."

"You know I cannot allow you to leave here, Saya-hime. We have others to do the footwork for you."

"Yes sir, but let me be of some use to you. I feel that this situation requires my special attention."

"Hime-sama, I will not repeat myself."

"If I may have permission to speak, Your Majesty." Hideo said with a low bow.

"Permission granted."

"Thank you. It so happens that my father has requested that I check in on subordinates of his that are currently residing within the first district of Rukongai. If it pleases Naishinnou-sama and His Majesty, I will go in the princesses' stead and collect information on the current situation. Although there is no reason to believe these ryoka have any intention of directly attacking His Majesty, any damage they intend to inflict on the Soul Society will affect the shinigamis ability to protect that realm. I'm sure that any first-hand information that I can gather would be most beneficial."

The king sat there quietly for a moment as he allowed Hideo's words to settle in.

"Is Naishinnou-sama in favor of Oshiro-sama's proposal."

"Hai, Your Majesty." Saya responded.

"Then you, Oshiro-sama, will leave in the morning. Please send word when you have gathered any information and return within five days. Understood?"

"Hai, Your Majesty."

"Dismissed."

* * *

Saya lay in Hideo's arms that night as she traced the muscles of his chest and stomach with her fingertips.

"Hideo, please be careful."

"Are you worried?"

"I… I have a bad feeling, in the pit of my stomach. I don't know what to make of it. The last thing that I heard from the Chambers is that Rukia-san had gone missing and that her brother and his fukutaicho were going to be sent to collect her. I haven't heard any word since then and now ryoka have infiltrated the Soul Society? Something just doesn't feel right."

Hideo pulled Saya closer to him. "Don't worry, Saya, I'm sure I'll be fine. But I will be extra careful since I know you will be waiting for my safe return." He placed a small kiss on the top of her head.

Saya got up and sat on his hips.

"Are we going for round two, tonight?" Hideo smirked and propped himself up on his elbows.

"No, I want you to have something." Saya unclasped the chain that she had worn around her neck for more years than she could remember. "Here, I want you to wear this chain. It's very special to me, so I'll leave it in your care until you return safely." She placed the chain around his neck and kissed him again.

"Thank you, Saya."

* * *

Hideo quickly made his way to the Central 46 Chambers and called to be let in. As Souta had reported there was no answer and when he peered through the gate, it seemed like the Chamber had been deserted more than it looked like it had simply closed itself off.

"What's going on? Saya was right, something feels off about this situation."

Hideo felt a presence behind him and turned to see a familiar face approaching.

"Good day, Sir, although we haven't formally met, I recognize you. I am Oshiro Hideo. You are Aizen Sosuke, captain of the fifth division, correct?"

Aizen smiled at him. "Yes, I saw you with Kyouraku-san. Rumors are that you two are… married?"

"We will be shortly." Hideo didn't like something about Aizen's smile, as if he was hiding a secret.

"Are you trying to get inside?" Aizen asked, and odd twinkle in his eye.

"Hai, perhaps you could help me?"

"Of course. If it's alright with you, Oshiro-san, could you tell me your business here within the Chambers?" Aizen opened the door and let him inside. Hideo allowed Aizen to lead after that.

"I'm afraid I cannot, Taicho, I hope you are not offended."

"Not at all."

Oshiro felt cautious, but remembered that Saya said that she greatly admired the taicho. He tried to keep that in mind even though the darkness he felt raised doubt in his mind.

Oshiro followed Aizen down a long staircase and into the main meeting room of Central 46. He gasped and his eyes widened as he took in the scene around them. Every member laid dead before him, their blood already dried.

"What happened here?" Oshiro asked in his shock.

"I killed them." Oshiro spun around to see Aizen smirking at him. He felt as if he had seen that same smirk before, but Hideo was unable to place it.

"Why… Why would you do that?"

"The answer is rather simple. I wish to gain ultimate power and sit on the throne that even God does not inhabit."

Oshiro drew his sword. "How can you say such things? And kill all these innocent people in the process? This cannot be allowed, I will stop you!"

"Don't make such grande statements, boy. They only make you look foolish in the end."

Hideo gasped as he felt the sharp metal of Aizen's sword slice through him. _Dammit! I didn't even see him move._ He turned over on his back, fighting for breath, only to see Aizen standing over him.

"See what I mean?" The wicked smirk still plastered on his face. He bent down to examine the necklace Hideo wore around his neck. "So, my little Saya gave this to you, did she? How interesting. It seems you did manage to take some of her love away from Ukitake after all. It will be interesting to see how she reacts to her dead fiancé."

Hideo took his last breath as Aizen's sword slashed through him once again, delivering the deadly blow.

"Ya sure that was a smart thing ta do, Taicho?" Gin asked with his silly smile. "Don' ya think Saya-chan is jus' gonna get more mad?"

Aizen's eyes seemed to gleam. "It will just make it more interesting."

* * *

Thank you to all of my reviewers. I know that I put out a few chapters here quickly, but it's because I doubt I will be updating again until after Christmas, maybe even after the New Year. This is one of my longer chapters in a while (over 5,000 words) so I hope you enjoyed it and it wasn't too slow. Also, I'm sure there were more technical errors in this chapter... please ignore them. I only went over it once and didn't have the energy to do it again.

Please take the time to review, I'd really like to know what you think! Thank you!


	43. Chapter 43: Bankai

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or anything that has to do with the Bleach franchise.

* * *

Saya lay face down in the dirt, struggling to catch her breath. _That damn soul slayer!_

"Get up, Saya-sama. You are wasting our time. If you want to regain bankai, then take control!"

Saya pushed herself from the ground and grabbed her katana. She was unsteady on her feet but took a defensive stance and waited for Kamikaze to come at her.

"You're acting pathetic, Saya-sama. Do you really wish to gain control or are you trying to _not_ lose? If you're only trying to not lose, you'll be dead within the hour."

Saya's eyes widened and the fear inside swelled in her stomach. Kamikaze had been cruel and relentless in his materialized state, but she had yet to grow used to him treating her so maliciously. She couldn't deny her fear, and try as she might, Saya allowed that fear to take over her emotions. At this point, she didn't think that she would be able to make him submit. These thoughts only brought about more doubt and fear. She was afraid that even in shikai, Kamikaze would no longer obey her. But by the sound of it, she wouldn't be alive to command her shikai if she didn't conquer her bankai.

"Are you afraid of me, Saya-sama? How pitiable that you are afraid of a part of yourself!" Kamikaze flew at her and slashed her left shoulder.

Saya tumbled backwards and then rolled to her side before Hanryo had a chance to slice her again. Standing up was even harder than the time before and warm blood flowed from the deep gash in her arm.

"Why won't you attack me? Why do you stand frozen in fear? How is that fear serving you? The pools of blood collecting on the ground answers that question for me."

Saya swallowed hard and tried in vain to catch her breath.

"I won't let you leave here today without your bankai. So that means you either defeat me, or we both except our demise."

Panic began to swirl through Saya. She didn't want to die, but at that point, she didn't see any way of defeating Kamikaze into submission. She was far worse of the two. Her body felt battered and bruised and the loss of blood was beginning to take a much bigger and dangerous toll. Feeling light headed and weak, Saya raised her sword and took a defensive stance once again.

Kamikaze shook his head in disappointment. "You set yourself up for death."

* * *

Souta sat on the palace roof, staring at the stadium-sized gymnasium that Saya trained in. He felt the disparities in her reitsu. At times it was high and confident, other times, like now, Souta could feel she was weak and frightened. Kamikaze was pushing her limits. Souta only concentrated on Saya's victory and prayed that she would soon achieve dominance over her zanpakuto.

"You've been up here a long time, Souta-kun."

He startled at the deep, strong voice that had seemingly appeared out of thin air. Souta jumped to his feet. "Good evening, Your Majesty. Forgive me, I did not notice your presence."

The king chuckled a little bit. "At ease there. I also happen to be very adept at stealth and combat, though you wouldn't know it by the looks of me." He sat down on the roof and peered over at the grounds where his granddaughter fought for her life.

Souta didn't sit back down right away. He felt odd, the King of the Soul Society was currently perched on a roof top, in a kimono that was probably worth more than the entirety of Rukongai, and behaving as if it was normal.

Feeling the young man's eyes on him, the King turned back to Souta. "Sit down, you're making me nervous. Saya got her love of climbing on rooftops from me, you know."

Souta nodded stiffly and then sat down, but left about five feet of space between himself and his emperor.

The silence was thick as both men felt the battle they could not see with their eyes. Each man was attached in his own way to the girl that was beyond their reach. Souta had always been attached to Saya ever since she had saved him from the hollow and gave him a purpose within the king's guard. The King wanted Saya to succeed for a couple of reasons. One, she had duties to fulfill, but the second, and closest to his heart, was that he wished to see his granddaughter back safe and sound within his palace walls.

"She's gotten stronger, but her zanpakuto seems to be pushing her beyond her limits."

Souta looked over at the king, not really knowing if to respond. "Hai."

A few more moments of silence had passed.

"You truly love Saya, don't you, Souta-kun? Not necessarily in a romantic way, as I once believed, but you wish for nothing but her well-being. You would do anything for her, am I wrong?"

Souta shifted, uncomfortable with the path this newborn conversation was taking. "Hai, sire."

The kind sighed as his eyes narrowed in the direction of Saya. They both had felt her reitsu drop dramatically. Both men sat, tense with anticipation until they felt it start to rise again.

"I love her too, you know? I don't have much family left. I have had to bury her grandmother and mother. I don't want to bury her as well. I've often gone back and forth about the decisions I've made for her since she was brought back to me. I don't always believe they were in her best interest. I know as king, most people feel that I have complete rule over everything and that my word is ultimate. But it's much more complicated than that."

The King stopped for a moment. Souta only nodded, both intrigued and uncomfortable that the ruler over the Soul Society chose him to confide in.

"There are delicate balances within all government systems that must be taken into consideration. As much as I wanted to forgive Saya of everything and simply welcome her back with love and warmth, I couldn't. Rules are in place for a reason and she had to be punished under them. If I had allowed her to get away with her sins, yet expect others to carry out their punishments, how can I be called a fair ruler? It is hard, to be a king and a grandfather at the same time. Some of the things she was punished for." The shook his head, "she was unaware of the fact that her actions were sins against us."

Souta looked over at the King, still unsure of how to respond, or even if he should at all. He still didn't understand why the King was telling him this, but he had also felt that some of Saya's punishment had been unfair and placed the blame on the king.

"I can't begin to explain the happiness I felt when Saya was brought back to me. The truth is, I only want Saya safe and protected. But this would, and has, infringed on her own rights to personal freedom and her happiness."

A small smile came to Souta's lips. He had, for the most part, viewed the king as a fair, but unfeeling ruler. The truth was that the king was like everyone else, he had feelings and doubts and insecurities. But most of all, he was a man who loved and cared for his granddaughter.

"I'm sure His Majesty has always made the decisions he felt most right for the situation. I'm sure Saya-sama feels the same way." Souta said.

The King allowed a ghost of smile and nodded a bit. "Thank you, Souta-kun." He gave another heavy sigh. "Oshiro-kun has not yet sent word. It has been four days now and nothing. I instructed him to return by tomorrow, but I fear that something may have happened to him."

Souta's eyes widened as he heard the news. He hadn't known that Oshiro hadn't made any contact with the court since he had left. His gaze turned back towards the gymnasium. "Saya-sama doesn't know either, then?"

"I am hoping for his safe return. I haven't sent any men out. The Soutaicho of the Sereitei has informed me that they have begun their own action against the ryoka, and that there needs be no action from our end of things. After all, it is their duty to protect us, so I understand. But I doubt Saya will be so willing to sit by and wait when she finishes with her training."

Souta nodded.

"And she had been so happy recently. It seemed as though she had finally forgotten her past love and accepted Oshiro-kun."

Souta stiffened. He knew Saya still loved Juushiro, but had convinced herself that it was okay to accept Hideo as her husband. It seemed to make her happier and so Souta supported the decision whole-heartedly. But if something happened to Hideo, Souta wasn't sure how Saya would react.

"I'm sure he will return to her tomorrow." Souta said quietly.

The King nodded. With a sudden drop in Saya's reitsu, both men sat quietly and turned their undivided attention to the training grounds.

* * *

Saya fell to her hands and knees with barely enough strength to keep a grasp on her sword. Kamikaze stood over her with his sword held high.

_He'll do it, he's really going to kill me. He's going to kill us._

"Be prepared, Saya-sama. Since you cannot defeat me, death is now your only option."

Tears formed at the corners of her eyes and quickly spilled over to mix with the blood and sweat that stained her face. Memories rushed through her, vague and quick flashes that she couldn't make out. She saw blurred pictures of her childhood, her time living with the Kyouraku family, and her days as a soul reappear.

Feelings of dread and sadness overwhelmed her as she tried to mentally prepare herself for death.

_It's okay. I accept this. I cannot defeat him. I don't have regrets. I have led a good life._

But suddenly her mind stopped on a single image. A man with long white hair and kind brown eyes filled her head. The clarity of this vision was unlike the rush that had previously swept through, his features were sharp and colorful. He was smiling at her. For a second, before her death, Saya smiled too.

Then it hit her.

She did have regret. All she wanted was to see Juushiro one more time before she died. Saya knew she didn't have the right, especially after accepting her position with Hideo, but Juushiro was the only thing she felt and thought at that moment.

Saya didn't want to die. She would not accept defeat. Kamikaze was nothing more than a part of herself and she was capable of ruling over her emotions, thoughts, and soul.

With renewed feelings of confidence and resolve Saya somersaulted forward, twisted her body, and brought her katana up right in time to block Kamikaze's death blow.

"We've had enough of this game." Her voice was cold and sharp. "It is time we put you in your place."

Saya swung her sword with a renewed force and precision. A devious smirk found its way to her lips as she attacked, parried, and maneuvered her way around the gymnasium. Kamikaze seemed to be amused with the new Saya, but did not show her any weakness of his own.

Her movements gathered speed and force as she gained the advantage. Kamikaze's blood mixed with hers on the floor as they continued their foray. With a quick side kick, Saya managed to knock Kamikaze on his back and took the opportunity to knock away his weapon.

Standing over him with her sword held above his chest, Saya knew she had won. "You will obey your master." With that she pierced his chest. "Bankai!"

A small smile graced his features before he disappeared and reformed as a small black tornado that swirled around Saya.

The feeling of overwhelming power radiated through Saya. She watched as Kamikaze spun around her body in his wind-tunnel form. He moved like shadows on the wind with a violent and destructive power. Before she lost consciousness, took control of her reitsu and commanded Kamikaze return to her. She fell to the ground and closed her eyes. Soon Saya found herself with her head on Kamikaze's lap underneath their Jacaranda treat. He smoothed her hair as she gazed up at him.

"Well done, Saya-sama. Rest now."

Saya nodded and closed her eyes once again.

* * *

The king smiled to himself knowing that Saya had overcome after all, but he could tell she was badly damaged from her trial.

"Souta-kun, go to her and take her to the infirmary. I will give the order that all available healers are to be on hand to work until her health is fully restored."

"Hai!" Souta flashed faster than he knew he could to Saya. He found her on the floor in a pool of her own blood, still clutching tightly to her zanpakuto.

Picking her up bridal style, Souta ran to the medical wing where a dozen healers were already on hand and waiting for her.

"Place here her. Please leave this to us." An older man said with a bow.

Souta laid her down as gently as possible before stepping aside. The healers were quick and diligent with their work. Within fifteen minutes, most of Saya's smaller scrapes and bruises were gone, only the large gashes remained.

Seeing that she was already on her way back to health, Souta removed himself from the treatment area and went to a smaller room next to where Saya was being mended. He sat with his back against the wall, knowing that he could do nothing more than wait.

* * *

"Kyouraku-taicho, the ryoka haven't been spotted in Rukongai since that first incident with Jidanbou and Ichimaru-taicho."

Ise Nanao had spent the last hour trying to locate her captain, only to find him napping on the roof of their offices.

"Now, now, my Nanao-chan, was that really something to wake me up about?" Kyouraku said as he tipped his hat.

"Taicho, it's important that you know what's going on. It's no small deal that five ryoka managed to break into the Soul Society. One of them managed to defeat Jidanbou, a task not easily done, and even managed to escape from Captain Ichimaru. I don't think you're giving this situation the attention it deserves." Ise-fukutaicho chided slightly.

Kyouraku smiled at his lieutenant. "But you just said that they haven't been spotted and everything has been calm since that first incident."

"Things only seem calm to you because you have been conveniently missing, captain!" Nanao was not in the mood to joke. "The sereitei has been put on alert, sir."

"You worry too much, Nanao-chan. You'll get wrinkles on your pretty face if you keep it up."

"Captain!"

Kyouraku chuckled a little. "Honestly, there is nothing to worry about at the moment. The ryoka have hidden themselves for now. If they reappear again, we will act accordingly."

Nanao sighed, knowing that her captain wouldn't do anything unless he absolutely had too. She knew he was probably hoping that everything would blow over and he wouldn't have to act at all. "Very well, Taicho. I'll finish the paperwork for today."

Shunsui pulled his hat over his eyes once more._ Yare, yare, things sure have gotten tense around here lately. First, Rukia-chan goes missing, then orders are given for her capture and execution. Now drifters manage to break their way through and cause such a stir. I wonder why we have to deal with such situations suddenly? Although it's impressive that human souls can accomplish such a fete such as breaking into the Sout Society, I hope the ryoka will turn back and not pursue whatever purpose they came here for. Or if they must, I hope that we don't have to become involved in any way._

Giving a heavy sigh, Shunsui sat up and looked out over the rooftops. Everything seemed peaceful, but his wise and experienced mind told him that it was just the calm before the storm. His thoughts strayed, as they often did, though not as much these days, to his sister.

Although he never shared it with anyone, his favorite memory with his sister was from the first day they met. Her laughter filled him with joy from the first time he heard it. He had always enjoyed being favored by her over his elder brother, though he wouldn't admit it out loud. But her innocence still existed then. That was before she had to endure the hardships of becoming a shinigami, regaining some of her memories, and then being taken away again.

_No, Imouto, perhaps you were never really innocent. Your memories from you life before you came here is proof enough of that._ Shunsui laughed to himself a little. _I do hope you have once again found happiness._

* * *

"How is her condition?" His Majesty asked his chief healer.

"Physically, she seems to be completely healed, Sire, however she has yet to regain consciousness. At this point, we can only wait until she has found the strength to wake up."

"Can she be moved from the medical ward back to her own quarters?"

"I see no reason why not, Your Majesty, I will order that a healer be on hand at all times."

"Very well. Move Saya-hime to her room and have one of your men readily available in case she needs further treatment. We thank you for you hard work."

"The honor is mine." The healer said with a low bow.

The king watched as the man left to carry out the orders given to him. _Why haven't you woken up yet, Saya-chan?_

* * *

Saya struggled to open her eyes; she no longer wished to live the dream she was stuck in. Over and over she ran through streets and alleyways, trying to get away from her attacker. She flashed over roofs and barely dodged residents as she tried to evade her pursuer, only to feel the sword slash her chest again and again.

It was different from the times before, when this same dream had haunted her. This time, Saya knew she was dreaming, but even though she had that sense of knowing, she still felt the same fear and panic permeate her every nerve. Her heart pounded in her chest as her lungs struggled for air. The heavy burning in her legs felt as if she were truly in the moment.

She screamed at herself to wake up, but all she saw was the katana slicing through her once again.

"Oto-san!" She heard herself calling as she fell.

Expecting to hit the hard ground as she had so many times before, she squeezed her eyes tight and prepared for the impact. Saya was surprised to feel herself being caught by a pair of strong arms. She opened her eyes again and found that she was being held by Kamikaze, and that they were sitting underneath their tree.

Her breathing was still unsteady and her heart raced, but she had never been so happy to see her violet-eyed friend. "Hanryo!" Saya exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Are you alright, Saya-sama? I'm sorry it took me so long to get you out of your dreams."

"It's okay, I'm glad you're here now." Saya wouldn't let go, she was afraid she might fall back into the nightmare if she didn't cling to Kamikaze.

"Saya-sama, I know this is difficult to ask of you, but I want you to stop fighting that dream. I want you to experience it, one more time."

"What? You can't be serious? Why would you want me to do that? I don't want to live through that again. It's terrifying every time."

"I know, but you already lived through it once. Now it's nothing more than a memory and a memory can't harm you. I want you to remember the whole thing. You have to be willing to see it, in order to understand. You have to understand, in order to gain the resolve to fight."

"Fight? Who would I be fighting against?" Saya asked.

"I want you to remember, Saya-sama. It won't do any good if I tell you. Now that you've regained your bankai, you are actually strong enough to protect yourself and the ones you care about."

"Kamikaze, I don't want to." Saya said again. But her vision of her inner world already began to fade as she plunged back into her memory.

Only this time she wasn't running for her life. She was standing in the Research and Developmental private laboratory, staring at the back of Urahara Kisuke.

* * *

**Author's Note PLEASE READ!** okay, I want to apologize for taking so long to update. I know that it's been the longest I've ever taken to update and I do want to apologize for that. But I would like to thank all of my new readers and so many of you reviewed and that totally made my day!

I'm not exactly thrilled with this chapter, but I spent so long looking at a blank computer screen that I was happy that any inspiration finally hit me! I also hope every one can place the timeline of the story now too.

Please take the time to review/post a comment. I do appreciate the feedback. And again, sorry for the delay in the update!


	44. Chapter 44: True Awakening

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or anything to do with the franchise... but Saya (and her love for Ukitake!) belongs to me!

* * *

_"_Forgive me, Urahara-taicho, but I am new to your squad and I am nervous about performing my duties well for you. I haven't made any friends yet. I'm kind of shy. Please, would Captain mind if I spent some time in here with him tonight? I promise not to get in the way. I'll sit in the corner and be quiet if you want. But I feel lonely, and if maybe Captain would let me stay here, if only for a little while, I would feel better about being in your squad."

Saya was staring at the back of Urahara Kisuke, smirking slightly to herself. _Baka_, she thought. _How many times have I come here and you don't recognize my spiritual pressure? Or are you just playing dumb?_

"What did you say your name was again?" Urahara asked, still standing with his back to Saya.

_Maybe he does suspect something? But he's acting clueless. Maybe I did do a good enough job masking my spiritual pressure._

"Is Urahara-taicho working on something important? You seem to be taking great care to not let me see."

Urahara turned to look over his shoulder at the young lady. "Oh nothing really, something to amuse myself is all."

Saya didn't say anything else, and for the next hour she only watched Kisuke work with the small, harmless looking orb. Every two minutes or so, she would notice Kisuke looking towards the window through which she usually entered. Although she found this amusing, Saya was annoyed that he hadn't stopped with the experiments she found inappropriate.

_This captain is too careless. Why would one need a gigai that cannot be tracked by the Soul Society? And another that actually steals away a shinigami's reitsu. What is the point and why does he feel the need for such a creation? What is he up to? Is it mere curiosity or does he have something much more dangerous in mind? Not to mention, he allowed that dangerous Kurotsuchi Mayuri to be released from the Maggot's Nest. Now he has that damn orb too. He's been hesitant to tell me the details of what it can actually do, but from what I've gathered, it may have something to do with 'Hollowfication.' Father was right to have me keep an eye on this one. Though I have to admit, he doesn't seem treacherous in anyway, but his actions are cause for concern. Either way, I'll have to thank Oto-san for tipping me off about him. But, I've grown found of Urahara-san, it'd be a shame if he turned out to be nothing more than a deceitful coward._

Saya watched as Urahara once again turned his attention to the window. She wasn't sure, but Saya thought he might look a little disappointed that she wasn't coming through it.

_It seems he hasn't found my visits to be bothersome. I have enjoyed them as well, but this will be the last time that I come. I don't want to be involved in the mess anymore, and Oto-san has all the information anyway, so he can step in if Urahara-taicho does something out of line._

"Captain, why do you keep looking up at the window? Are you expecting a visitor or something?"

"Oh, no. I'm not expecting anyone." Kisuke lied.

"She won't come to you tonight." Saya stood up and began walking to the door.

"Who are you talking about?" Urahara stiffened a little, but didn't turn around. How could this new recruit know about his visitor anyway?

"Your friend. She won't come to you anymore. She asked you to stop with your experiments, to stop making that orb and specialized gigai, but you didn't listen to her. Dangerous objects like that attract dangerous people and dangerous deeds. Please destroy it."

Saya had made it to the doorway, but stopped when Urahara spoke.

"What did you say your name was again?"

Saya stopped at the threshold and looked over her shoulder at the blonde man staring at her with curious eyes. She smirked. "You may call me, Ichijin."

Saya didn't give the captain any time to respond, and immediately flashed away from the twelfth division and towards the lower districts of Rukongai.

_"If anyone finds out that I revealed my face to a member of the Gotei Thirteen, a captain no less, I'm sure to receive a severe punishment."_ Saya said to Kamikaze as she slowed down her flash steps. Her kimono was not suited for running.

_"You reveal your face to your father." _Kamikaze mused.

_"Yes, but I don't think that really counts. Of course I could trust my father with my identity. He'd be in trouble too, anyway. It's forbidden that he and my mother should have even met, let alone continued their secret affair. He'd be in much more trouble than myself if anyone knew."_

_"I see, so you both keep each other's secrets."_

_"Haha, what a perfect father, daughter relationship, ne?"_ Saya said sarcastically. _"One in which deception is key. How cruel to have such a kind father, yet I can't even acknowledge him."_

_"Yes, I think that your mother fell in love with a good man. He has put himself at great risk to continue to have a relationship with you as well."_

_"I don't think there is a man out there as wonderful as my father."_

_"Ah, spoken like a true daughter."_ Kamikaze laughed.

Saya's smirk returned as she continued to towards the seventy-eighth district of Rukongai.

_"Damn kimono."_ Saya sighed and slowed to a normal walking pace. She watched as her surroundings slowly grew more dilapidated and the people she passed looked deprived, malnourished, and miserable. Others looked rough, as if they were ready for a fight any time, anywhere. For the most part, Saya ignored the suffering, and concentrated on not getting her kimono dirty from the mud in the streets.

Although it had taken a while to get there, Saya finally entered the dingy pub in which she would be meeting her father. One look around told her that she had dressed far too nicely for the establishment.

_"And I tried so hard to choose something modest too. I still look an aristocrat who lost her way. But father always likes it when I wear pink."_

_"Forget that, Saya-sama, I wish you hadn't left my zanpakuto form with your father, even if he is bringing it with him when he comes. I don't like for you to be without it."_

_"There's no reason for you to fear. Look, the place is almost completely deserted, save for the barman and the one customer." _Saya said as she walked to a private, corner booth. _"Father should be here any minute and I can take of myself."_

Saya sat in the corner booth, facing the door so that she could see her father when he entered. The wooden bench was hard and rough, as was the table. Saya ran her fingertips over the grooves and knots in the worn wood.

_"I know that we have to meet in places like this so no one will notice me or recognize him, but honestly, does it have to be some place so far away from the Sereitei? And does it always have to be so… humble?"_

Saya heard Kamikaze chuckle from the back of her mind. _"I think you meant to say 'poor,' didn't you?"_

Saya tutted and crossed her arms, which just seemed to amuse her zanpakuto even more. At hearing the creaky door swing open, Saya dropped her pout and smiled brightly at the man approaching her. He ran a hand through his wavy brown hair and pushed his glasses up further on his nose.

"Hello, Oto-san!" Saya stood and wrapped her arms around her father. He patted her head like he often did.

"Good evening, Saya-chan. How are you?" He asked with a smile.

"Well, thank you. And yourself?"

"All things seem to be going my way."

Saya and her father sat down in the booth and ordered some plum sake.

"What new fads is Hirako-taicho into these days?"

Saya saw her father smirk a little to himself. "He's been listening to this new type of music called 'jazz.'"

"Sounds interesting. I'm sure I could send a servant to bring me back some." Saya said absently as she sipped her sake.

Her father's deep brown eyes gazed at her for a moment. "It doesn't seem all that trendy to me."

"Yes, but you always say that and Hirako-taicho usually is up to date with the latest trends and fads that happen in the real world, along with the trends and fads of the Sereitei. He's a fashionable guy, not matter how you look at it. At least, it seems that way to me. Having never really met him, I don't really know."

"Yes, well, he seems to think the same way you do. In that I'm neither cool or hip."

Saya smiled at her father. "It's because you're a father and fathers aren't supposed to be concerned with such matters. You don't have to be trendy, Oto-san, I'll love you whether you're trendy or not."

Saya was rewarded with a kind smile. "Thank you, Saya-chan."

Saya smiled too. She loved her father's smile, kind voice, and warm actions. Ever since she first met him, she admired him above all others.

"Any news from the twelfth division?"

Saya shook her head. "Urahara-taicho hasn't ceased with his experiments. He has developed this orb, I think it might have the ability to distort the lines between shinigami and hollows. A terrible thing, really. I had asked him to destroy it, but he hasn't. But I won't be visiting him again. You have all the information that I have collected over the years, so now you should be able to offer up any knowledge if he proves treacherous in anyway."

"That's good of you to have kept your eye on him. Please leave the rest to me." He said with a smirk.

Saya shrugged. "Just doing my duty, Oto-san. Besides, you're the one that warned me about him."

"Speaking of duties, how are you doing?"

"Well, I think. I know mom was a better 'Saya' than I am, but I'm still learning. I always try to carryout any orders _he_ gives me. My purpose in this life is to ensure his safety, so that is what I do." Saya looked up to see her father smiling at her, but his eyes had taken on an odd glint.

"You will always be loyal to the king?"

"Of course. But that doesn't mean I don't love Oto-san!" She said in a sing-song voice and a cheesy smile.

"But you will first be loyal to him, correct?"

Saya opened her eyes and stared at her father, she wasn't really sure why he was asking such a question. "I suppose so, yes. We are talking about my grandfather, and my life's duty, so… of course I will always be loyal to him. He may be... what he is... but he is also my grandfather who is kind to me and dotes on me. I love him very much as well."

"I thought so, you're a good girl, Saya-chan." He reached acrossed the table to pat her on the head.

"I suppose that would go for any king though, correct? Your great uncle is next in line, yes?" His brown eyes darted across the room, making sure that no one was eavesdropping on their conversation, not that it mattered. He had already hypnotized the barman and the other customer, they were under his complete control.

Saya nodded. "Because grandfather never produced a male heir to his line. But yes, I would be just as loyal to my uncle." Saya furrowed her brow slightly. She had never had this kind of conversation with her father before. Why was he asking such things?

"Saya-chan, what if I were the king?"

Saya blinked a few times in confusion. "Huh?"

"What if I became the king?" He asked again, an odd smile edging at the corner of his lips.

"Well, if it were possible, then I suppose I would be thrilled that Oto-san were king and I could protect him. But since it's not…"

"What if it were possible?"

Saya stared at her father and noticed herself shift uncomfortably as he stared back at her.

"Saya-chan, would you be loyal to me, too?"

"I am already loyal to Oto-san." Saya could feel herself tense up and mentally chastised herself. _This is father! Why are you turning an innocent conversation into suspicious? Oto-san has always been loyal to the Soul Society and loving to you. He's simply feeling insecure is all, and needs you to boost his confidence._

Noticing his daughter's tense body language, he put on his best smile, the one that was always sure to calm her down. "Ne, Saya-chan, are you alright? I'm asking hypothetically, you know? Wouldn't it be nice? We wouldn't have to hide our relationship anymore. We could live as a father and daughter should."

Saya immediately relaxed a bit. _See? All tense for nothing._ She smiled. "Of course, it would be nice for Oto-san and I to be like that. Hypothetically speaking, I would like that very much."

_"Just a boost, that's all he needed. Why did I feel so overwrought just a moment ago? This is father we're talking about."_

_"I don't really understand either, Saya-sama, but please keep on guard."_ Kamikaze answered. Saya could see his narrowed eyes as he mentally thought through the situation.

To busy herself, Saya took another sip of sake.

"I'm glad to hear that, Saya-chan. You are truly a beloved daughter."

"Thank you, Oto-san! You, of course, are my favorite father." Saya took a deep breath and looked down at her cup, glad that the awkwardness of the situation had passed.

"Would you like me to tell you how I'm going to do it?"

Saya's eyes widened and her head snapped up. "What did you say?" She whispered.

"Well, I was planning on using you, to help me get into the King's realm, but then I thought that was too careless of me. It would mean most certain death and I don't plan to die any time soon, not when I am to become the most powerful ruler the Soul Society, no, the universe has ever seen."

_"Kamikaze, is he being serious?" _Saya didn't receive an answer, only a concerned look from Kamikaze.

"So I've decided to use Kisuke's creation to obliterate the Soul Society by making another King's Key. First I will rule over the hollow realm, Heuco Mundo, and create an army of shinigami-hollow hybrids. I have already established contact and allies there. With this army, I will have enough power to destroy any who oppose me and sit on the highest throne in heaven."

Saya swallowed hard, her breathing had turned shallow, and her muscles were rigid with anxiety. "You're joking, right, Oto-san? You don't really mean any of this, do you?"

He gave Saya a smile she had never really seen before. It wasn't kind at all, it looked soft, but beneath the surface was malice. His eyes looked amused that she wouldn't take him seriously. "I assure you, I am not. With your help, I am sure to achieve this goal even faster than I originally planned."

"My help?" Saya still hadn't found her voice, and she hated that she was showing so much fear before this man.

"Didn't you say that you would like for us to have a normal parent, child relationship? Did you not just say that you would be loyal to me?"

Saya shook her head. "Not at the cost of the ones I love! How could you do this? You are not my father! I don't know you at all! Who are you? What have you done with the real Aizen Sosuke?!"

He gave a slight chuckle and removed his glasses. "I assure you, I am the real Aizen. This is my true self. Do you not like it? It would be a shame to be rejected by my daughter, I was really hoping that you would join me and that I wouldn't have to kill you."

_"Saya-sama!"_

Saya reached for her zanpakuto and realized it was missing.

"Did you just notice? I decided to leave your sword back in my quarters. It would be a nuisance if you were to release your bankai. I don't particularly like the idea of having my spiritual pressure directly attacked."

_"Saya-sama, get out of here."_

Saya didn't give a second thought and flashed out of the dirty pub into the streets of Rukongai.

* * *

Saya ran through the streets of Rukongai as fast as her feet could take her, barely making out the buildings and people as she dashed in and out of alleyways.

_"Damn kimono! Kamikaze! How could this happen? Why is he doing this to us?"_

_"I don't know, Saya-sama, keep running! He's not that far behind, you must make it to the Sereitei!"_

Saya jumped on a rooftop to get her barings, the white walls of the Sereitei still seemed so far away, and her legs were already burning from the speed and length of her shunpo.

_"This isn't right, Hanryo, I shouldn't be running away from my father! He should be the one protecting me. How is it that this man wants to kill me? This had to be of his plan, meeting me out so far all of the time. He knew that he'd kill me if I didn't agree to his plan. Am I truly to die by my father's hand?"_

_"There's no time to discuss that right now! Keep your eyes forward and your senses keen! You're only focus should be escape."_

Saya darted down another dark alleyway, the tears stinging the edge of her eyes.

_"He's my father! He's my father! I've given him all the information about Urahara-san and his experiments. This whole time my father was using me to further his own treacherous goals. How could I be so blind?"_

_"Saya-sama! Keep moving, he's very close behind you."_

_"I know! I can see him!"_ Saya yelled as she tried to dash even faster. The seams of her kimono tore as she pumped her legs beneath the hindering material.

Saya noticed that her surroundings slowly started to become more polished, clean, and aristocratic. Jumping on to a roof once more, Saya saw that she was within the first district and the walls of the Sereitei weren't much farther ahead.

_"I can see them! I can see the walls of the Sereitei! I'm sure I can make it to Urahara-taicho for help."_

_"Keep going, Saya-sama."_

Saya's legs were almost at their limit as she felt her muscles start to cramp up. She could barely catch her breath though she was gasping for air. She turned around to see how close her father was behind her, surprised to see he wasn't there as he had been before.

_"Did I manage to lose him after all?"_

Saya's relief was short lived. As she dropped back down into another alley, she saw her father blocking her way, his sword held out before him.

"My little Saya, why did you have to run away like that? You've just drawn things out."

Saya's eyes widened as her breath hitched in her throat. "Oto-san, please, why are you doing this? You can't expect to get away with it!"

"You're wrong, I'll get away with everything."

"Are you really going to destroy the home that I love? Are you going to murder the people I care for?"

The only answer Saya received was a devious smirk.

Panic settled at the pit of Saya's stomach, as she feared for her life. But more than terror, Saya felt completely crushed under the heavy weight of betrayal. The man she admired, loved, and trusted was now pointing a sword at her chest. The smirk he wore sent shivers down her spine. Never before had she felt so afraid and helpless. Before she could stop them from coming, tears spilled down her cheeks.

"It's such a shame that I've had to kill both my lover and my daughter. She didn't agree with my way of thinking either."

Saya's eyes shot up to meet her father's. "You… you killed my mother? We thought she was ambushed by hollows."

"Don't worry, everyone will think you died the same way. I'll make sure of that."

Saya shook her head in disbelief. To her surprise, she found herself becoming furious with man in front of her. Her panic turned to anger and the betrayal she felt turned to hatred. Her father only seemed more pleased with her flaring temper.

"I won't let you get away with this, Aizen Sosuke! I'll have you tried for treason! You'll be executed by my own hand!"

"Such bold claims from one who can't even defend herself. Goodbye, my little Saya."

Within a second Saya felt her father's blade slash her chest. She screamed in pain and felt her body fall to the ground. The world around her started to turn black as the blood rushed from her wounds.

_"Kamikaze, I'm sorry."_

_"Don't speak, Saya-sama. Just listen to my voice."_ But he was already starting to fade.

_"Kamikaze, I can't hear you. Kamikaze? Hanryo!"_

Just before the light left her eyes, Saya saw a pair of feet running towards her. An unfamiliar voice rang out in the darkness.

"It's a you girl, she's been badly injured! Somebody call the doctor and have him come to my home immediately!"

* * *

Saya opened her eyes to see that Kamikaze was still holding her within her inner world. The tears from her dream had followed her there and she quickly wiped them away.

"I'm sorry you had to see that Saya, but it was important that you remembered the truth."

Saya nodded. "I understand. I can't believe that I fell for it twice. I trusted him, whole-heartedly. What a fool I've been, I'm sure he's been laughing at me this whole time. I doubt his goals have changed. No, he's only gotten closer to them. We have to stop him, Kamikaze."

"It won't be easy, Saya-sama."

"I know, but we have to succeed. I can't allow him to destroy the Soul Society and do with it what he pleases. I have to protect the ones I love."

Kamikaze nodded. "Then wake up Saya-sama."

* * *

Saya's eyes fluttered as she opened them to the familiar ceiling of her sleeping quarters. A young hand-maiden who had been keeping watch over Saya jumped up in excitement and ran towards the door.

"Tell His Majesty that Hime-sama has opened her eyes! She's finally awake!"

Saya took a deep breath and sat up in bed.

"Saya-sama, you have woken up. I was so worried. Are you alright? You suffered a lot of injuries acquiring your bankai."

Saya smiled at Souta. "I'm fine, Souta-kun. I know exactly what happened to me."

* * *

**Author's Note: **I hope that everyone enjoyed this chapter! This chapter has been in my head before I even wrote the first word of the first chapter, so I'm hoping that you liked it! I also hope that it answers all (or at least most) of your questions and definitely confirms your theories. So the answer is "yes" for all of you that kept asking. "Is Aizen her father?" There you go.

Please take the time to post a review/comment. I would really appreciate it! Thank you to everyone who's been posting and commenting. I really do appreciate it and it always brightens my day! Thank you again!


	45. Chapter 45: A Golden Sky

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or anything to do with the franchise... but Saya (and her love for Ukitake!) belongs to me!

* * *

"Please, ojii-sama! You have to let me go to the Sereitei!" Saya stood before the king with her arms crossed in front of her chest. She and Souta were the only two in the private office of the king. Ever since she had stepped foot in her grandfather's office, she was pleading with him to let her go to the Sereitei. It had been over an hour and he still refused.

"I will not let you return to that place. You've only just finished your training and you should be focused on wedding preparations."

"How can I focus on wedding preparations when there is no groom?" Saya asked. She flinched at the memory of being told that Hideo had not yet returned from the shinigami realm. Having fully expected him to be there when she finished her training, Saya became upset when she found out he had never returned. She feared the worst.

"And that is exactly the reason why I cannot send you into the Sereitei."

"You're being unfair!" Saya huffed.

"Is it so awful that I want you here, where you are safe and sound? Is it so bad that I want you where I know you are protected? There are ryoka that have infiltrated the soul society, it's dangerous now."

Saya's face turned stern as she glared at her grandfather. "I'm sure you have sent me on far more dangerous missions. Are you saying that mere ryoka may be able to harm me, especially now that I've regained my bankai?"

"I'm saying it's risky especially since Oshiro…" The king stopped what he was saying when Saya's eyes turned sad. "I don't think you should go." He said calmly.

Saya shook her head and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down as well. She placed her hands on his desk before starting again. "Ojii-sama, that is exactly the reason I should go. I promise not to engage any of the ryoka unless absolutely necessary. I'll stay away from members of the Gotei Thirteen. It will be a simple reconnaissance mission, one to gather information to bring back here so that we may prepare ourselves. There is something off about this situation, I don't feel right about it. Please, let me be of some use. Let me go and figure out what is happening. Most of our communication has been cut off, even in the worse of circumstances, that shouldn't happen."

"I will send others…"

"I am the best person for this mission and you know it!" Saya snapped.

_"So much for calming yourself down."_ Kamikaze chided.

Saya shook away his comment. "I have a thorough knowledge of the Sereitei and surrounding areas of Rukongai. I know how to get around and _avoid_ better than any of your guard."

The king, obviously not enthusiastic about the tone Saya was using with him, graced her with a stern look that caused her breath to hitch. She took two steps back and sat in a large leather chair.

_"You should have known better."_ Kamikaze said with a yawn.

"We could send Hikifune. She is the former captain of the twelfth division, I believe. She would have knowledge, perhaps better than yours, of the Sereitei." The king said in an even tone.

Saya narrowed her eyes slightly.

_"Saya-sama, choose your words carefully. He can keep you from going, you know that."_

Saya nodded slightly as she lowered her eyes and allowed Kamikaze's calm demeanor to blend in to her own.

"Ojii-sama, I know that I haven't always been… the most obedient. During my years as your personal guard, I often snuck out of the King's Realm. I acted carelessly and didn't always think of the consequences. But, I hope you understand that I did try to serve you as best I could. I always followed your orders and performed my duties without complaint. Ever since I've returned, I've done my best to fulfill the constituents of my punishment without protest."

The king raised an eyebrow to Saya's last statement.

"Well… I may have… drawn out parts of it. But you wouldn't have been happy if I had chosen any one other than Hideo-dono either." Saya was relieved when the king nodded slightly and gave her permission to continue. Saya took another deep breath. "What I'm trying to say, Ojii-sama, is that it is important to me that I do this. My fiancé is missing, ryoka have infiltrated the Soul Society, and communication has been shut off. Something is amiss in Soul Society, and I am asking permission to investigate so that we may prepare ourselves should any threat come forth. Let me be of some use to you, Ojii-sama, like I was before."

Saya held her breath and waited for the King's response. He was a master at masking his face; Saya was unable to read his expression at all.

_"At least I know where I get it from, but I'm not that good. Even Byakuya-sama isn't that good."_

_"Shouldn't you refer to him as Byakuya-dono or Byakuya-kun, given your position?"_

_"It seems odd to call him anything else."_

_"I'm just saying, Saya-sama, that you really don't need to use such honorifics with him."_

_"Yes, but… that's really not what's important, Kamikaze. Do you think Ojii-sama will agree to our request?"_

_"See, now 'sama' is appropriate when referring to your grandfather."_

_"Kamikaze!"_

_"Pay attention, it seems like he's about to speak."_

Saya looked up to see her grandfather staring at her intently. As if he knew she was having a conversation, however meaningless, with herself and was waiting for Saya to turn her attention back to him.

"Your request brings me a lot of despair, Saya."

She nodded.

"I simply wish for your safety, above all else, I want you here with me. But I don't think I can force you, any longer."

Saya shifted in her seat a little, but tried to seem apathetic, even though she was about to burst with anticipation.

"Saya, I will allow you to go to the Sereitei…"

"Thank you, Ojii-sama!" Saya interrupted.

"I have a couple of stipulations."

_"I spoke too soon."_ Saya said to her zanpakuto. He answered her by pretending to pick foxgloves.

"One, you will not engage the ryoka, unless threatened first. As you mentioned, this is a reconnaissance mission, please treat it as such. Secondly, there will be no mingling with the members of the Gotei thirteen. Thirdly, you will take Souta-kun with you, because I trust him above any one to make sure you come home safely. Do not linger within the realm. Gather your information, find Oshiro-dono, and return as soon as possible. Are we clear?"

Saya smiled and nodded. Before she could help herself she ran around the desk and threw her arms around her grandfather.

"Thank you so much, Ojii-sama. I will do my best to make you proud. I will return to you, I promise."

Saya's grandfather returned her embrace. "Please do. I will prepare an untraceable Senkeimon to open near the woods of Division One. Go make your preparations."

"Hai!" Saya and Souta exclaimed before being excused.

* * *

"Saya-sama, are you going to tell me what the plans are? Or do I have to guess?" Souta asked as they walked down the halls of the palace.

Saya shook her head. "Not now, and not here. I will inform you after we leave. I expect we'll be there for more than a few days, so we'll have plenty of time to prepare. Make sure you bring supplies for camping out, we'll find shelter in a cave if need be."

Souta smiled to himself. "If I didn't know any better, Saya-sama, I'd say you're excited about this." He nudged Saya with his elbow.

Saya couldn't help but smile back, which she quickly replaced with a serious face. "This is a serious mission, Souta-kun… but I can't help but be a little excited, I actually get to be of some use to his majesty and do something more than be pampered all day. Besides, there are things I would like to confirm while we're there."

Souta cocked his head to the side, giving Saya an odd look. He sighed when he realized Saya wasn't going to say any more. "I suppose you'll let me know what you mean when we arrive, right?"

"Right. Go prepare yourself."

Saya left Souta at the entrance to her personal chambers. After closing the door behind her, she leaned against her door with her eyes closed and took a large breath.

_"Are you ready for what you're going to face, Saya-sama?"_

Saya leaned her head back against the frame. _"I have to be, Kamikaze. Our main mission is to find Hideo and bring him back. I only hope that nothing has happened to him. Our secondary mission is find evidence against Aizen, proving his plans for treason. It won't be easy, since it's him, but we must try."_

_"Why are you waiting to tell Souta-kun until after you arrive? Isn't it fair to let him know before you go so that he can prepare himself?"_

Saya took a deep breath and allowed the air to completely fill up her longs before she blew it out in a long, slow exhale. _"I can't risk anyone overhearing us. I plan on telling Souta that Aizen is my father."_

_"But wouldn't Aizen be arrested just for that fact? It's not allowed for members of the royal family to associate with the members of the Gotei Thirteen. If you name him as your father, then he'll be arrested for breaking one of the most basic rules."_

_"He would, but I won't be satisfied with that. Oto… Aizen has been plotting treason for over a hundred years, at least. If he's arrested for this crime, the worst that might happen to him is imprisonment. I would have to answer as to why I decided to name my father after protecting his identity for so long. He might also have subordinates who know of his plans, and will carry them out for him. No, Aizen must be caught in the act of treason and we must find out who his cohorts are."_

From the back of her mind, Saya saw as Kamikaze gazed at her with a serious face. _"There are other reasons too, ne, Saya-sama? You don't wish to identify him as your father."_

_"Of course there are. I know all too well the penalty of being related to a traitor. How many wives, sons, and daughters have I killed because of the actions of the father? I can't assume that I would be any different. I'd rather not die, if I can avoid it. If our relationship is found out and he is caught for treason, then I most likely will be executed too."_ Saya shivered and opened her eyes into a hard glare. _"What a hypocrite and coward I am. I've dealt out the same consequence I wish to avoid. Only now do I see how unfair it is, but perhaps it's only because my life is on the line."_

_"And if he mentions that you are his daughter?"_

_"… I won't deny it. But I'm hoping it won't come to that."_

A knock came at the door, making Saya jump a little in surprise. She turned to open it and saw a butler standing there with a dress box in his hands.

"His Majesty wanted me to give this to you." He handed the box and bowed.

"Thank you." Saya closed the door once again and took the box over to her bed to open it.

A small smile edged the corner of her lips as she looked down at the contents of the box. The box held her haori, it looked much like the one Byakuya wore over his uniform, except Saya's was black, and fit a little more snuggly to the body. On the back was the typical kite, seen on the backs of the haoris worn by all of the captains. It was embroidered with golden thread and within the kite was the King's chrysanthemum. It was the haori she wore when she led the King's Guard on missions to eradicate hollows, treacherous clans, or during formal peace talks and treaty negotiations. "It's been quite a long time since I've worn this." She whispered as she let her fingertips trace the outline of the kite. "Does he really wish for me to wear it while I'm gone?"

"I do."

Saya turned when she heard the deep timbre of her grandfather's voice. "Ojii-sama, I didn't realize you had let yourself in."

He gave her a quirky smile. "You're the second person that I've snuck up on in the last week. I see my skills are as good as ever."

Saya nodded and smiled as well. "I thought that you didn't want me to have any contact with anyone. I'm supposed to be as anonymous as possible, even though that will prove somewhat difficult. Wouldn't wearing the King's crest give me away?"

"This is just in case. I doubt you'll be seen, but if you get caught by shinigami that are unfamiliar with you, then I thought that having this would ensure your safety. Or at least give you an excuse to not to explain yourself."

Saya smiled and threw her arms around her grandfather's shoulders. "Thank you so much, Ojii-sama!"

The king gave Saya a pat on her head before pulling away. "Keep yourself safe. Come home to me."

"Hai." Saya watched as her grandfather left her room. The heaviness of guilt started to settle on her shoulders as she thought about the secrets she was keeping from him. Although she wasn't the one committing the treason, she felt as if she was betraying him anyway.

_"Stop thinking like that, Saya-sama. You're going with the intentions to protect him."_

_"The road to Hell is paved with good intentions, Hanryo."_

Saya slipped out of her kimonos and let loose her hair. She was surprised to find it had grown so long. Her golden locks fell passed her hips in flowing waves. She ran her fingers through her hair and watched as the strands slipped through them.

_My ladies-in-waiting always fix my hair for me these days, I suppose I just never noticed how long it's grown. I guess they wouldn't cut it; a princess is supposed to have long hair as a sign of the wealth of her family. They would probably let it grow to the floor if I let them._

Saya tied her hair in a high ponytail and then went to her wardrobe. Hidden in the back was the outfit she had been looking for. It was all black, as fitting with the traditional color of the King's Guard, along with the shinigami in the Soul Society. Her pants were made of a stretchy material that allowed Saya to move freely, but fit close enough to her body that it showed off the shape of her long legs. The top had long sleeves and was made of the same material that hugged her curves. A thick belt made of cotton was worn around her hips that snapped in back. Saya laced her knee-high boots before adorning her haori. She tied a matching gold obi around her waist.

She nodded her head with approval at the sight of herself in the mirror before packing more uniforms into her sack. She sent for dried nuts, berries, and meat to be brought to her and packed those as well. Not knowing how long they would be gone, Saya wanted to make sure she enough supplies to hold out for at least a couple of weeks. Souta would pack the necessary supplies as well.

Just as she finished arranging all of her supplies, Souta arrived back at her quarters.

"The gate is ready for us." He said.

Saya looked up at him and nodded. "Let's go."

Souta gave a small bow as Saya passed him to lead the way to the Senkeimon. Several palace guards and officials formed two lines on either side of the gate; the king standing in front of the doors at the end of the lines. Souta and Saya kneeled before him.

"Go now. May your blades be sharp, your mind be keen, and your courage strong."

"Yes, Sir!" They said in unison. Saya and Souta stood side-by-side as the gate opened before them.

"Souta-kun?" Saya whispered.

"Yes, Saya-sama?"

"Thank you for always being at my side."

Souta blushed slightly. "Thank you for standing by mine."

* * *

The two stepped through the gate and began their walk to the other side. Souta kept giving sideways glances towards Saya, though he didn't say anything.

"Spit it out, Souta-kun. I don't like that face you're making."

Souta jumped a little, not realizing that Saya had noticed his odd glimpses. "Forgive me, Saya-sama. I just thought that you would run towards the other gate, instead of, well… strolling along."

Saya's eyes looked amused as a slight smirk came to her features. "Perhaps I would like to take a few more moments of this illusionary peace. I am not looking forward to what will happen when we reach the other side."

"I don't understand what you mean, Saya-sama."

She sighed a little. "Souta-kun, my memories returned to me when I regained my bankai."

"They did? That's great, isn't it?" He asked with enthusiam lighting up his face.

Saya didn't respond.

"That isn't a good thing?" He looked confused.

Saya smirked. "Souta-kun, I think in some ways, I've always been a coward. Part of me is thinking, 'I'd rather not have never remembered everything.'" A sad smile found it's way to Saya's face.

"Saya-sama, what's going on?"

"There are a few things I would like to accomplish on this mission, Souta-kun. The first being to discover the whereabouts of Hideo-dono and make sure he's safe. Second, determine the motives behind the ryoka that have infiltrated the Soul Society. If they've broken in to attack the Court of Pure Souls, then we can leave them to the shinigami. If they have plans to assault the King's Realm, though it'd would be nearly impossible to break into, we may need to send for reinforcements. Though, it is the shinigami's duty to protect our realm as well. Thirdly…" Saya paused, searching for the words she wanted to use.

"… And the last thing, Saya-sama?" Souta asked.

"Collecting evidence and information. I suspect one of the captains of committing treason."

Souta's eyes widened in disbelief. "Saya, that's a rather bold claim. To think that one of the captains, sworn to defend the Soul Society and His Majesty, would commit treachery in unthinkable."

"I understand that. That's why I wish to collect evidence necessary to make a formal declaration to ojii-sama." The two fell silent as they continued their walk towards the gate that would lead them to the Sereitei.

"Saya-sama… how do you know this, and why didn't you report it earlier?"

"Like you said, it's a bold claim. I need proof." Saya closed her eyes for a moment. "I said before that my memories came back with my bankai. This wasn't information that I knew during my time as a soul reaper. It was something I learned the night of my attack. Knowing this information was the reason I was attacked."

Souta didn't react and for the first time in Saya's memory, she couldn't read his face.

"What are you thinking, Souta-kun?"

"I'm concerned for you is all. I don't understand your actions. It would have been easier to just mention this to your grandfather or one of his advisors, or to even send a warning to the Central Forty-six."

"You're right." Saya sighed. "But you will stand by me, won't you, Souta-kun?"

"Of course, but I would like for you to tell me everything."

"What do you mean?" Saya asked.

"You're hiding something and I want to know what it is. I think that I have the right to know the whole truth since I am helping you."

"Ah, you do know me better than I thought." Saya smiled and chuckled a bit, but she didn't seem amused. "The one that I suspect of being guilty of treason is also my father. This matter must be handled delicately."

Souta's mouth dropped open slightly before he realized and snapped it shut. He gave a simple nod.

A smirk played on Saya's features. "Don't look so upset, Souta-kun. That's why I'm doing this. I made a vow to protect my grandfather, and a promise to my father that I would stop him."

"… Can I ask… who is your father?"

"Aizen Sosuke."

Souta's eyes widened in disbelief. "But you always spoke…"

Saya interrupted before he could finish. "… So highly of him? I know. He's made a fool of me several times over." The irritation from her damaged pride soaked her every word. "I would like you to keep this information to yourself. If it comes to be known, play ignorant. The only reason I'm telling you this is because I trust you, but I wouldn't have if you didn't ask. I don't want your life to be at risk because of it."

"I… I understand, Saya."

"You called me Saya." She said softly. "You only call me Saya when you're really upset. Forgive me for causing you any distress."

Souta shook his head. "I'm fine." He said, though Saya didn't believe it.

They stopped before the gate. "Souta, I want you to find Hideo-dono for me. No direct contact with the Central Forty-six, do you understand? They've completely shut themselves off and even in a time like this, it seems odd. Avoid the captains at all costs… all of them. I don't want you getting hurt. If the ryoka somehow manage to break into the Court of Pure Souls, do not engage them. If you do encounter one, try to discover their reason for being here, but that is all. No fighting unless necessary. I too, will try to determine the reason for the ryoka's infiltration, and my main objective will be to collect any evidence against Aizen. Do you understand, Souta-kun?"

"Hai, Saya-sama." He said as he pulled his mask over his face. Saya, too, placed a mask over her face, though it had a cut-out for the eyes, and didn't hide them as Souta's did.

"Good, please open the gate."

* * *

Saya and Souta stepped out of the woods near the first division offices. It was just after dawn and the sky was beginning to take on the characteristic pink hues of the morning sunrise. Saya scanned the area for lingering guards but didn't see anyone nearby. She was careful to mask her spiritual pressure, not wanting to give away her presence and knowing that a few of the captains were more sensitive to her reitsu than others.

"Isn't the sky too bright for this early in the morning?" Souta asked.

Saya was knocked from her thoughts as she turned her attention up. "You're right. The sky… it's… turning gold. What's going on?" Saya squinted against the light and made out a large orb.

"What the?" Souta asked. Neither of them had seen anything like it before.

Saya flinched as the alarms over the Court sounded. "It's breaking through the protective dome!" Saya watched as the giant orb broke through the strongest protective kido spells known to the Sereitei.

"They're splitting up." Souta said. The orb dissolved and four spokes shot off in different directions. Orders were being given over the alarm system instructing the shinigami to find and destroy the invaders.

"Let's move." Saya said. "We'll split up, but be back here by nightfall. We'll assess any information we gathered and plan for our next move from there."

"Hai!" Souta made to flash away but Saya caught him by the wrist.

"Take care of yourself, Souta. If you get into any trouble, pulse your reitsu and I'll come as quickly as possible."

Souta nodded and Saya allowed him to go off. She took a moment to close her eyes and sought out the strongest of the spiritual pressures that had fallen off of the orb.

_"Four spokes, and five people? No… six ryoka. One of their group is incredibly hard to get a reading on. They're able to mask their spiritual pressure easily. Wait…" _Saya opened her eyes and furrowed her brow in frustration.

_"What is it Saya-sama?"_

Saya shook her head and concentrated again. _"The strongest of the pressures landed near the eleventh division. I bet Zaraki-taicho is going to have a field day with this invasion."_

_"Are you wanting to head that direction, Saya?"_

_"Why would I want to do that? I want to go where the ryoka didn't land."_

Kamikaze smiled and held and amused look in his eye. _"I know you want to go straight to the fifth division, but that probably isn't the smartest thing to do."_

Saya sighed. _"Alright, then. To the eleventh division we go."_

_"I think that's the best choice for now, Saya-sama."_

Saya flashed towards her destination, focusing on the unfamiliar spiritual pressure to guide her way. "_What's this? The intruder is fighting with Ikkaku-san? Good luck to him."_

_"Are you reliving fond memories, Saya-sama?"_ Hanryo teased.

_"Painful ones. I was knocked down more times than I would like to remember by Ikkaku. My body was sore for days."_

Saya could hear Kamikaze's chuckle in the back of her head.

_"It's not that funny."_ She scoffed. Saya flattened herself against a tile roof and watched the fight between Ikkaku and the ryoka. _"He looks like a soul reaper!"_

_"Hai, but he's only a human." _Kamikaze pointed out.

Saya studied him for a bit longer. _"You're right."_

_"Are you going to do anything?"_

_"No. Ikakku is handling the situation, I won't engage unless forced. I have no desire to fight a ryoka."_ Saya turned her attention back to the fight and saw that the ryoka had just dodged a direct attack.

_"Woah! He's agile! Ikakku is fast and strong… for that boy to dodge it…"_ Saya watched as the boy counterattacked and then once blocked Ikkaku's sword. _"This should be interesting."_

* * *

"One question. What is your name?" Ikkaku asked the intruder.

"Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Ichigo is it? That's a nice name." Ikakku said.

"Yeah? You're the first one to ever say that."

"Men with the word 'ichi' in their names are often powerful and talented. I am captain of squad three, eleventh division, Madarame Ikkaku. Since we both have 'ichi' in our name, let's make this a great fight!"

Saya raised a brow from where she watched and turned her attention to Kurosaki.

"Ha, whatever!"

Saya heard a chuckle from Kamikaze. _"You're right, Saya-sama. This will be very interesting."_

Saya smiled at Kamikaze's amusement and continued to watch the fight. Both men had shallow cuts on their brow and a few scratches on their arms. Neither had done any serious damage to the other. Ichigo was an odd one to figure out. Although he made many mistakes like a rookie, his skill and power level was beyond that of a novice. Though he often took his hand from his zanpakuto, his swings were powerful and refined.

"Tell me, who is your teacher?" Ikkaku asked. Saya was wondering the same thing.

Ichigo paused a moment before answering. "He only taught me for ten days. I don't know if that's long enough to be considered a teacher. But someone did teach me fighting tactics."

"Who is he?" Ikkaku pressed.

"Urahara Kiskuke."

Both Saya's and Ikkaku's eyes widened at the name of the former captain. Saya began studying the boy with a new intensity.

_"What does that man have to do with this? Is he actually part of the plot with my father? No way. Urahara-san… certainly I wasn't taken in by both of them?"_

"I see. So he is your teacher? Then it would be very rude of me to kill you too easily… Extend, Hoozukimaru!"

Saya watched as Ikkaku attacked with his released zanpakuto, Ichigo was caught off guard over and over again. He wasn't able to keep up with the three pieces of Hoozukimaru. Even though he was clearly at a disadvantage, Saya was amazed at Ichigo's endurance and, well, stubbornness. He kept taking hard hits from Ikkaku's sword, yet would get back up every time. Usually after saying some smart-ass comment.

_"This kid is a punk. But talented."_ Saya mused as Ichigo was once again thrown to the ground.

Ikkaku told him that he wouldn't be able to keep up.

Ichigo just smiled. "You're wrong. I'm already getting used to it." He opened his hand and out fell the feathers that were usually attached to the end of Hoozukimaru.

Saya's eyes widened as Ichigo sliced through Ikkaku's sword and left a massive gash on his chest. Saya was even more surprised when Ichigo told Ikkaku to put his sword away.

_"He… doesn't want to kill him. They are enemies, yet he's asking Ikkaku to put away his sword?"_ Saya watched as Ikkaku attempted to attack Ichigo once again, only to have his arm sliced. Saya watched as Ikkaku fell to the ground.

_"This kid defeated Ikkaku?" _Saya was in disbelief.

_"Are you going to stop him from delivering the final blow?"_

_"No. Ikkaku would never forgive me. But I don't think this kid is going to kill him anyway. Look, he's applying the ointment that Ikkaku keep stored in the end of his zanpakuto."_

Saya dropped to the ground and startled the young ryoka. He pointed his sword at her.

"Put your sword down, boy, you're in no condition to fight any longer and I have no intentions of fighting you either."

Ichigo didn't put his sword down, but he didn't advance on Saya either. "What do you want?"

"Chi, such a rude tone and I haven't even done anything to you. I want to know why you're here." Saya asked. Her tone was serious and cold.

"I came to rescue Kuchiki Rukia."

Saya's face remained like a stone mask, but she couldn't help but be surprised by the direct proclamation. "Any other reasons?"

"No. That's it. I won't let you stop me." Ichigo said. The serious demeanor on his face didn't make Saya question him further. She turned on her heel to leave.

"Good luck to you then." She said.

"Wait! Do you know where she is?" Ichigo was clearly surprised by the fact she didn't try to stop him or engage him in another fight.

Saya looked over her shoulder; the boy's face was expectant. "No. You'll have to ask someone else." Saya flashed away.

_"You aren't going to question him more than that?"_

_"There's no need. That boy… he's honest."_

_"You haven't always been the best at deciphering honest people."_

Saya twitched her brow in annoyance._ "Shut it. You saw they way he acted and the resolve in his eyes to find Rukia-san. I have no interest in the ryoka if they're only here to rescue her. The protection squads can deal with them. Besides, they'll offer a good distraction so that we can accomplish our goals."_

Saya could see Kamikaze leaning against their tree with his eyes closed and a small smile on his face. _"Where are you going now?"_

_"Where else? To the fifth division."_

* * *

**Author's note: **Thank you to all of my readers. I have to say, I think I have the best group of readers in all of fanfiction! You're always patient and kind and I truly appreciate it! (and you don't seem to mind the never-ending-ness of this story!) lol... Thank you so much for all of your kind feed back. We are now entering the "soul society arc." I'm excited about it. I hope you are too! Haha... I'm going to stop saying "I can see the end in sight." B/c I think that I automatically add 5 to 10 chapters on every time I say that. j/k, not that many, but still... it's already a lot longer than I originally planned.

Anyway, I thought this chapter dragged on a bit, but we should pick up more speed as Saya is back in the Sereitei.

Thank you so much for reading! Please take the time to leave a post! Thank you!


	46. Chapter 46: Short Visits

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or anything to do with the franchise... but Saya (and her love for Ukitake!) belongs to me!

* * *

_"I don't think this is a good idea, Saya-sama. You should try to find information elsewhere before going headfirst into the fifth division. If Aizen learns that you've been snooping around, it'll be bad for you."_

Saya jumped from one rooftop to another, ignoring her zanpakuto. She could see him growing more and more irritated with her.

_"Saya-sama!"_ Kamikaze snapped at her.

_"We're going whether you like the idea or not!"_ Saya was careful to move swiftly enough that she wouldn't be noticed, not that many people were paying attention to the rooftops, but she didn't want to go so fast that she couldn't stop or change directions at a moment's notice.

_"Shouldn't you figure out why the boy came to rescue Rukia? Isn't that worth investigating?"_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"Something must have happened in the interim since our last contact with Central Forty-six. If Rukia were merely being imprisoned, why would he need to rescue her?"_

Saya stopped on top of a roof within the fifth division and layed belly-down against the tile. Peeking over, she saw numerous people running around, attempting to organize themselves to look for the intruders. _"I really am not concerned about Rukia, Kamikaze. I'm sure Byakuya-sama will take care of whatever is going on. All I'm interested in is proving that Aizen is a treacherous retrobate. Now, can you sense him anywhere? By all accounts, he should be here within the fifth division if his men are to be deployed, but I can't get a reading on his spiritual pressure. Then again, I don't want to give myself away either, so I'm not trying as hard as I could."_

Before Kamikaze could respond, Saya heard the delicate voice that belonged to Hinamori-chan. As always, she sounded nervous and unsure of herself.

"I can't find the Captain anywhere." She said. "I guess stand-by for orders."

"Yes, Fukutaicho!"

Saya quirked a brow at hearing Aizen couldn't be found in his division, but decided that was for the best. She had hoped that he would be gone so that she could snoop without the chance of getting caught. Saya lifted herself up enough so that she could start making her way towards Aizen's offices, but stayed semi-crouched to avoid being seen.

She scanned the area around Aizen's office and decided to break-in through the back window. She was relieved to find it unlocked. After placing a kido around the office that would alert her to anyone's presence within ten feet of the door, she began her search.

_"Everything is so neat and tidy." _She complained to Kamikaze. _"If I don't place everything back perfectly he'll know someone was in here snooping."_

_"He probably does in on purpose."_

_"No, I think perfection is just part of his personality."_

Saya searched through his books and found nothing out of the ordinary. She searched is file drawers, desk drawers, and even Hinamori-chan's paperwork. Nothing was off. Everything looked perfectly normal.

_"I should have known he would be too cunning to leave something where just anyone could stumble upon it. I doubt he's left any sort of paper trail or tangible evidence that could be used against him."_

Kamikaze gave a curt nod to agree from the corners of Saya's mind.

It had already been over an hour and Saya was afraid to tarry much longer. Frustrated at being unsuccessful in her search, she plopped down in the seat behind his desk. She scanned the room, trying to see if there was a place she had missed, but nothing. Sighing, Saya stood up and started to head back to the window, stopping when she saw a paper with the seal of the Central Forty-six peaking out from the trash can.

She snatched it up and started reading.

_The criminal Kuchiki Rukia will be executed by Soukyoko for the crimes of transferring her Shinigami powers to a human, remaining in the material world past the time of her assignment, and attempting to avoid arrest. Time and day of execution is set for 21 days from the day of arrest._

_"What is this? Rukia-chan is being executed? I understand stripping her powers, arresting her, making her repent… but execution by Soukyoko? That seems a bit much. That is reserved for captain class, or shinigami with incredibly high spiritual pressure. If execution is truly appropriate, by means of such a powerful force is unnecessary."_

Saya could hear Kamikaze chuckling.

_"What is it?"_ She asked, feeling a bit irritated.

_"I thought you didn't care about Rukia-chan's situation, just as long as she provided a good distraction to your true plans."_

_"Shut-it. I didn't think it was so –" _Saya tensed as she felt Aizen's spiritual pressure approach the doorway. Dropping the paper, she flashed out of the window and onto the roof, quick to continue running as fast as she could.

_"Do you think he noticed us?"_

_"It's hard to say…"_ Kamikaze answered. Saya could tell he was trying to appear calm and unconcerned, but his tense jaw and tight lips gave away his true feelings.

Saya decided that it was time to head back to meet Souta, she made her way towards the woods outside of the first division. She and Kamikaze remained in silence.

* * *

Aizen neared the doors of his office when he walked into interesting kido field. A small smirk edged the corner of his lips.

_Now, now, my little Saya, you shouldn't be so careless. Did you really think I wouldn't notice this little web of yours? Who do you think taught you this trick or did you forget? But since you're sneaking around, I would say you've recovered what you've forgotten._

He slowed his walk and opened the door in time to hear the lightest of footsteps lift off from his roof. His keen eyes scanned the office and immediately found the paper Saya had dropped on the floor when she fled his office. He picked it up and saw that it was the notice of Rukia's execution. A full-fledged smile, though unkind in its nature, formed on his handsome face.

_Not bad, not one thing out of place, besides this obvious mistake. _Aizen crumpled the paper and returned it to the garbage bin.

_But I wonder, Saya-chan, will you put two and two together? _He chuckled.

* * *

"Saya-sama, are you alright?" Souta asked.

She gave a quick nod but knew Souta wouldn't be satisfied unless given an explanation. "Oto… Aizen almost caught me in his office. I need to be more careful from here on out." Souta made to say something but Saya cut him off with a wave of her hand. "I said _almost_, Souta-kun, don't worry. I feel the utmost confidence that I came and went undetected."

_"Such a lie."_ Kamikaze chided.

_"He doesn't need to worry more than he already is."_ Saya said back. "Do you have anything to report, Souta-kun?"

He shook his head. "I wasn't able to find any way into the Central Chambers. I thought I saw a captain exit the premises, but was unable to get a clear view of him."

Saya nodded. "It seems the ryoka are here to rescue Kuchiki Rukia, a lower-ranking soul reaper from the thirteenth squad." She stumbled over the last couple of words and cleared her throat. "I don't know the entire story, but she transferred her soul powers to a human and is to be executed."

"Is there a connection?" Souta asked.

"I'm not sure. Perhaps just a convenient distraction." Saya didn't say anything else and Souta took that as a cue to keep any other questions and discussion to himself.

She led the way to a hidden cave about two miles from the edge of the woods. While Souta collected wood for a fire, Saya placed various kido spells around the area for protection against unwanted visitors. Souta prepared a modest meal of dried meat and berries. They ate in silence. Saya became entranced by the fire, watching the orange and red flames dart and hiss with the occasional pop. She didn't notice that Souta had been watching her, concern and suspicion etched on his face.

It was well after the sun had sunk below the horizon that Souta broke the silence. "Are you going to tell me what it is that's bothering you or are you going to continue to pretend that nothing is wrong?"

A small smirk spread over Saya's lips as she looked up from the flames to gaze back at Souta. "I was just thinking of my childhood and how much I loved my father."

"What?" Souta dropped his jaw. "How could you be thinking that? He's a traitor of the worse kind."

Saya's smile turned gentle as she stared back into the flames. "That doesn't change the fact that when I was young I looked up to him. My child-self thought he was the most fantastic man. Even up until the last minutes before his betrayal, I revered my father above others. The woman I am now is filled with confusion, anger, and sadness. I see the true nature of the man behind the kind mask. It's almost funny, really. Betrayed twice by the same man."

Her smiled faded as she watched the flames dance with the slight breeze that made its way into the cave.

Souta lowered his head and studied his callused palms. He had never had any parents himself and so couldn't relate to Saya's sentiments. But he knew it must be painful to be betrayed by one that you trusted.

"Souta," Saya waited for him to look up. "I want you to do me a favor. If it comes to be known that I am the daughter of a traitor, I want you to return to the king immediately and inform him of that fact."

Souta's eyes widened. "No, Saya-sama! It'll be your death sentence! You know that."

"Of course I know."

"Then how could you ask me to do such a thing?"

"Because it would mean death for you too. You cannot protect the daughter of traitor, Souta-kun, no matter who it may be. You are a servant of His Majesty. If you don't tell him and allow me to enter the king's realm, then you will be considered a traitor yourself."

"But Saya-"

"It's what I want you to do, Souta-kun. I'm not entirely sure about what's going to happen. I believe my father… I believe that Aizen is planning to make his move; I'm just not sure how it's going to play out. Your first duty is to your king, Souta, not to me."

"You're one to talk about duty." Souta mumble. He heard her chuckle. It sounded so light and carefree considering the gravity of the conversation.

"Then I'll ask you to do as I say and not as I do." Saya smiled but locked her eyes to Souta's. He got the message and knew that she was completely serious about her request, no... her order.

Souta couldn't answer, so he nodded.

A few moments later Saya suggested they try to get some sleep. The moon was high in the sky and morning always came faster that one would hope.

Waiting until the cadence of Souta's breathing changed, Saya quietly stole from the cave. She flashed from branch to branch and then from rooftop to rooftop. Excitement filled her every nerve yet guilt settled in her stomach as she neared her destination. She stopped and settled on the hill that overlooked a small pond with a quaint house built out on the middle of the water.

* * *

Saya wasn't sure how long she had sat on that hill looking at the house that filled her with warm thoughts and happy memories. She tittered to herself when she thought about how she would trade a million of her palace homes to live in that small little house on the water.

But Saya's smile faded when she realized what she was doing and what she had done. After resigning herself to the life she had been forced back into, after accepting Hideo into her heart, after shoving aside the thoughts that she and Juushiro could be together, there she was, daydreaming about a life with him that could never be. Worse yet, she had broken a promise. It seemed insignificant at the time, when she seemed so far away from her true dreams. She had tricked herself into thinking she wouldn't regret giving herself to another. Now, as she sat so close to the home she once shared with the man she still loved, she felt farther from him than she ever had. She was overwhelmed by her love for Juushiro, weighed down with guilt of betraying him, and ashamed for thinking of him when she was there to find her fiancé whom she also loved. It wasn't the same. No love could ever be the same as Juushiro.

Tears spilled over her eyes and ran down her cheeks. Before she realized what she was doing, Saya was opening Juushiro's door and stepping into his small yet familiar living room. The potent stench of Unohana's medicinal herbs and teas filled the house. She could hear his labored breaths from the bedroom.

_Sick. He sounds really sick._

She took careful footsteps and entered his bedroom. The moonlight that filtered in through the screens only made him look that much paler, yet just as strikingly handsome as the first time she saw him. Dried blood crusted at the corner of his mouth and she noticed stains on his sheets from a recent attack.

_He didn't even wake up?_

Saya swallowed hard and she took step after conscious step towards Juushiro. She grabbed the rag that lay beside a bowl and dipped it in the water. First she dampened his brow and neck before wiping away the dried blood from his mouth. He moaned slightly, as if her gentle touch pained him, but he fell back into silence as she cleaned the cloth and massaged his arms and chest with the ointment that Unohana concocted to help alleviate some of the pain of his attacks.

She started to gather his sleeping top and tie it back into place when she felt his hand on her hip. She found his face and noticed that his eyes were open, but glazed over with sleep and fever.

"Saya, is that you or am I dreaming again?" He asked in a weak voice.

Saya released a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Do you often dream of me, Juushiro?"

He nodded once. "Of course."

She smiled at him. "Then of course you're dreaming." She whispered, afraid anything louder than that would give away the fact that she was about to cry.

"Hmm… I was afraid of that. Even so…" Saya felt herself being pulled into his chest. The strong scent of aloe and eucalyptus filled her nose.

Saya knew that dawn was only a few hours away and that she had to get back to the cave before Souta woke but couldn't push herself away from the comfort of Juushiro's embrace.

_A couple of hours won't hurt._ She thought as her eyes drooped closed. Her entire body felt more relaxed than it had in over forty years and Saya fell into a deep slumber only to wake as the sun began to peek over the horizon.

It took a great deal of effort on her part, but Saya extracted herself from Juushiro's embrace. She gazed at his sleeping face for a moment and gave him a sweet kiss. Then she turned her back and walked out of his house.

* * *

She scolded herself for several reasons, the main reason being that she went to Juushiro while she had a fiance. But Saya couldn't take back her decisions and decided to concentrate on making her way through the Sereitei.

Once Saya was on the rooftops she was surprised to see how many people were bustling about, shouting orders to subordinates or readying themselves for patrol. But it wasn't until Saya heard a terrified shriek that she stopped and changed her path.

Twice she heard it.

_"We'll have to be careful, Kamikaze. I'm sure that scream will attract a lot of attention."_

He nodded and actually seemed to be looking forward to finding the source of the commotion. Saya situated herself on a nearby rooftop, horrified by what she saw.

Aizen Sosuke, her father, murdered and impaled to the side of tall tower. Blood had run down fifty feet below his feet. Her eyes widened as she saw the body of the man she had wanted to kill herself. It seemed surreal, like she was looking at a doll.

_"Who could have done this? How could this have happened?"_

_"Isn't this what you wanted, for him to be dead?"_ Kamikaze asked with a quirked brow.

Saya stared at the body of her father as Hinamori screamed his named below.

_"Not like this. I wanted his crimes to be known. I wanted everyone to know that he's a liar and a traitor. I wanted to take his life myself. I wanted to confront him! I wanted to know his reasons for doing all of this!"_ Saya shook her head in an attempt to throw off her frustration but was startled by a sudden burst below.

Kira-fukutaicho was defending his captain, Ichimaru, against Hinamori. It seemed that their fighting escalated quickly, but was ended just as quickly as it had started. Saya noticed a young looking captain with spiked white hair stopped their fight. He had them both arrested and ordered that Aizen's body be taken down from the tower.

_"That boy is a captain?"_

_"He's wearing a haori, so I'd say the chances are pretty good."_ Kamikaze gave an exaggerated sigh.

_"Have I ever told you how irritating you are?"_ Saya asked as she peered over the ledge to get a better look at the young captain and saw that the symbol for the tenth division was etched within the kite on the back of his captain's robe. He seemed to be threatening Ichimaru Gin.

Kamikaze smirked as he situated himself against their tree.

Saya rolled her eyes at him but continued to wait on the rooftop. She watched as members of the fourth division carried her father away from the tower wall. Her mind was blank save for the image of his body impaled and the blood that had run down from it. She hoped that someone would wash away the scarlet residue that painted the side of the wall.

_"Saya-sama, it's time to go back and tell Souta-kun what you saw."_

She nodded and flashed back to the camp she had made with Souta the night before. Though she didn't speak with Kamikaze, she knew well enough that he understood all the emotions that were coursing through her mind and body. Part of her was incredibly upset that Aizen had been killed in such a manner. It didn't seem right. Another part of her seemed to be upset that he had been killed at all. She didn't understand this. Why would she mourn a man that had betrayed her, lied to her for her entire life?But she found herself most upset that it wasn't her that delivered his final blow. She felt it was most right that her father would die by her own hands. Any other way was cruel to both of them.

Souta was already up and pacing in front of the cave when Saya returned.

"Where have you been? Do you have any idea how worried I was about you?"

"I'm sorry Souta."

"No you're not. You always do this Saya. You've always done this. You behave however you want and disregard the feelings of others. Didn't you think I'd be concerned when I woke up to find you gone?" He scolded.

Saya was silent for a moment. His comment about disregarding others feelings for her own was something that she had struggled with. To be called out on it was hard to take. But Souta wasn't wrong in his frustration with her. She bowed to him. "Please forgive me, Souta-kun. It wasn't my intention to cause you any worry. I was careless."

"Where were you?" He asked again, a bit calmer than before.

Saya stood and met his eyes. Her face was blank, etched from the finest marble. "It appears that someone has murdered my… Aizen. I saw his body impaled to a tower wall this morning."

Souta's eyes narrowed as he processed the information. He opened his mouth to speak but Saya didn't give him the chance.

"No, it wasn't me, Souta-kun. I don't know who it was." Saya turned her head and stared through the trees and branches.

"I don't know how it is you might be feeling, Saya-sama. But isn't this the end you wanted?"

She nodded once, but refused to meet his eyes.

"Now you can put your full focus into finding Oshiro-sama." Souta said, a little too matter-of-factly for Saya's taste.

"Yes, you're right. But let's wait here a bit longer. With a captain murdered, the Sereitei will be even more frenzied than before. Let us wait before we go snooping any more today."

"Saya, why would we-"

"It's for our own safety, I assure you, Souta-kun." Saya turned her back on him and found a large boulder to sit on. She closed her eyes and turned her mind inwards to Kamikaze.

Kamikaze didn't say anything to her knowing that she wanted the comforting silence of her soul. He just allowed Saya to lean against him as he combed through her golden locks with his fingers. It wasn't a surprise to him that the wind picked up, that the flowers and grasses bowed low against its force. Saya's tears always brought about harsh winds and violent tornados in his world. They were easier to bear when she was there with him.

"Why am I so upset, Kamikaze? It's as you and Souta said, isn't it? His death was the end I wanted." She sobbed against him.

"You didn't want him to die like that. He's still your father."

"He betrayed me. I plotted for his death, his humiliation. Now I shed tears over man that didn't really exist."

Kamikaze continued to stroke Saya's head. "We always cry over the memories of one who dies. You have more good memories than bad. In your experience, for most of your life, he was a good man to you. You struggle against the man you know as your father and the man you know as a traitor. Part of you doesn't want to believe he's capable of such hideous acts. Your inner child weeps for innocence you no longer hold. And you weep because, in reality, you wanted to cleanse yourself of him by ending his life yourself. Do not feel ashamed for crying, Saya-sama. Sometimes our enemies are people we also love."

Saya didn't say anything else, but the wind had already begun to calm.

"This can't be it, Kamikaze. There has to be something more." It had been almost an hour since Saya had last spoke to him.

"Perhaps, but your first priority should be finding Hideo, especially now that the threat of your father no longer hangs over our head."

Saya nodded and Kamikaze felt the swirl of conflicting emotions run through Saya. "I understand."

* * *

Saya opened her eyes and turned to Souta who had been sitting against another large boulder, staring at her back.

"We need to find a way into the Central Chambers." She said, a renewed life shining through her eyes. "Let's go."

"Hai, Saya-sama."

* * *

**Author's Note:Thank you all for being patient with me. I know it's been a long wait, but I hope that you enjoy this chapter. I also want to thank all of my readers for sticking with me and for being the best readers EVER! Please feel free to leave a comment or review. Your feedback is very much appreciated.**


	47. Chapter 47: Chary

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

Author's Note: I'm taking a few liberties with the timeline of the Soul Society Arc. Not everything is going to be mentioned and some events are going to be strung together as if they happened on the same day or what not. Please forgive my changing things. I hope it doesn't upset anyone too much. But I found the need to "smush" events together for the simple sake of moving things along.

I also wanted to thank everyone for being patient as I am moving so slowly with my writing these days. I really appreciate all the support.

* * *

"He is coming." Ise-fukutaicho said to her lazy captain. "A ryoka." Her face seemed so serious as she watched the intruder run through the courtyard below.

Shunsui stretched his long arms over his head and wiggled his toes. "Oh? Bummer, he's here already?" He folded his arms under his head again and shifted his body into a more comfortable position. His eyes were closed underneath the shadow of his large straw hat that hid the upper part of his face.

Shunsui heard Nanao sigh. He knew she was frustrated with his unwillingness to get involved with the ryoka unless given direct orders from Yamamoto. But it wasn't the ryoka that had been bothering Shunsui over the last couple of days. Although faint, and well hidden, he was sure that he felt the familiar sensation of Saya's reitsu. He could tell that she was putting extra effort into hiding herself. She was doing a good enough job so that her presence would go unnoticed, but he was too familiar with her. His senses perked in response to her spiritual pressure. Saya wasn't seeking him out. It bothered Shunsui. But he had other matters to attend to. Yamamoto-soutaicho had ordered that the captains make their move to help eliminate the ryoka problem.

"Oh well, might as well get it over with." Shunsui lifted his body into a sitting position and peeked at his lieutenant from under the brim of his hat.

"You are… going to fight him yourself? He's only a ryoka, I'm more than capable of handling him."

Shunsui stood with his back to Nanao and smiled to himself. Although she tried to hide it, he could tell by the sound of her voice that she was surprised that her peace-loving captain would go himself to fight a drifter.

"It's a direct order from Yama-jii, can't help it. He doesn't want the ryoka to cause any more problems. Furthermore, if I let my lovely Nanao-chan go and she gets hurt how can I possibly live with myself?"

During his attempt to caress her face, Nanao slapped her captain's hand with a fan. "You are extra extra cruel today. That's what I like about you Nanao-chan."

She seemed infuriated but Shunsui saw the concern for him etched in her brow. He allowed himself to be ever slightly more serious and assured her that it wouldn't be a problem. And just so she wouldn't feel too useless, he handed her a basket of flower petals.

Begrudgingly, she took it.

* * *

Saya stopped abruptly when she felt the spiritual pressure of the ryoka near that of her brother's. Souta, following close behind and not expecting her to stop, skidded and almost ran into her. He followed her gaze.

"What is it, Saya-sama?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Souta-kun, I'll meet you later. Go to the chambers, but don't linger. I want you to find out what happened to the two lieutenants that were arrested yesterday. Keep safe."

"Hai." Souta flashed away.

Saya turned and made her way to the eighth division. It was a familiar road to her, the first that she learned during her time in the Sereitei. No matter where she was, she could always find her way to the eighth division.

_"Curious, Saya-sama?"_

_"Shunsui never engages unless absolutely necessary. Apparently the ryoka are giving the Sereitei some trouble. I won't speak to him, it's simply to gather information."_

_"I don't know why you try to lie to me."_ Kamikaze smirked.

Saya smirked too and continued to flash towards her brother's spiritual pressure.

_I hope that ryoka doesn't actually think he can beat Shunsui-ni. Nanao is nearby too. I'll have to be careful to not be seen._

When she arrived on a nearby roof, Saya saw that Nanao was showering her brother with flower petals.

_"What on earth?"_

_"You're brother was always one for a show."_ He laughed when Nanao threw the basket at Shunsui's head.

Saya rolled her eyes and watched as Shunsui attempted to persuade the ryoka to go back to where he came from. It came as no surprise when he seemed to magically procure a flask of sake and two saucers. Typical Shunsui. He was trying to win without fighting. It was just a boy, much like the orange-haired kid who had fought Ikkaku. Saya's face fell when she realized the boy wasn't going to back down. She didn't even know his name, yet knew he would be defeated.

Saya watched his failed attempts. Every punch he threw at Shunsui was easily dodged by the talented captain. Even if he had managed to hit him, Saya knew that Shunsui wouldn't fall. This boy, though powerful for a human, was nothing compared to her brother. She shook her head when the boy began using his own life force as a means to fight. But what surprised Saya was how casual Shunsui seemed to be about fighting him. She had never thought her brother inherently cocky, but Saya couldn't understand it. Shunsui looked as though he was playing with the boy.

"I told you, to give up now. I have nothing against you, so turn around and go back. If you keep this up, you will die." Shunsui watched as the boy got back up.

"How bothersome. Why are you so persistent? What do you want? Why did you come to the Soul Society?"

Saya turned her attention to the boy. His breath was labored and from Shunsui's relatively tame attack, he was bleeding and clearly worn down.

"We came to rescue Kuchiki Rukia."

_"Well, at least they're keeping their stories straight."_ Saya said to Kamikaze.

Shunsui's attitude changed when the boy revealed that he was there to support his best friend who was fighting for something he believed in. Saya knew it struck a chord with Shunsui. He and Juushiro had been friends long before her life had even begun. They relied on each other for support and strength. If Juushiro needed help, no matter what that help may be, Shunsui would be there for him. This boy was fighting along side his best friend. Saya knew that Shunsui would now take the fight seriously. She also knew this wouldn't be good for his opponent.

"I apologize. It was impolite of me to try to dissuade you. Very well then, I have no choice but to take your life."

Saya froze when she saw Shunsui unsheathe his swords. She automatically reached for the hilt of Kamikaze. Surely he wasn't going to kill that boy? But she couldn't make herself move as she watched Shunsui slice through him as if the boy were nothing more than the air.

"I'm sorry."

Saya was stunned. Her brother would never kill mercilessly. He would never kill unless there was a point. He hated to take a life, even the life of an enemy. Killing this boy seemed like something she would have done, easily even, especially under orders. But Shunsui, he wouldn't take the life of someone so young.

_Breathing. He's still breathing._

Saya turned her focus to Shunsui and noticed the immense destruction that was caused by the human's last punch. Her eyes widened when she realized how powerful that last attack had been. There was no way that Shunsui wouldn't have been wounded had he been unable to dodge.

"Taicho! An urgent message!" Nanao ran towards him looking worried.

"It's not like you to be so agitated. By the way, did a kid from the Dark Brigade come? What was that about?"

"Aizen-taicho has passed away. The cause of death is severe heart injury and removal of the hakusui with a zanpakuto. It is definitely a homicide." Nanao seemed out of breath as she reported the news.

Visions of Aizen's body flashed through Saya's mind. His face was so peaceful, like he was expecting his death and had already accepted it by the time he was murdered.

"Sosuke-kun? Hmmm… we should go pay him a visit then." Shunsui turned to leave but stopped when Nanao offered to finish the human laying before her feet.

Saya smiled as she heard Shunsui order Nanao to call a medical squad to tend to his wounds. As Nanao walked away, Saya turned her back on the scene and was about to flash away.

"Well, well, Saya-chan, you won't even come to say hello?"

A smirk edged her lips as she turned to see her brother on the same rooftop, pink haori fluttering in the wind. She wanted to hug him and laugh as she always had, but her body remained stiff. Her face turned into an icy mask before she answered. "It's nothing personal Aniki, it's better for the both of us if you don't know I'm here."

"You said something similar to that last time, didn't you?" He quirked a brow. "You heard what Nanao-chan told me?"

Saya nodded. "I already knew."

"Are you going to tell me what you're up to? You've been sneaking around quite a bit. It makes you look like a prime suspect, even though you looked up to Sosuke-kun." Shunsui cocked his head as he looked at Saya.

She did her best to remain apathetic, but she knew Shunsui was able to read her better than most. She turned her head to look at the young boy lying in the courtyard below. "Even though I looked up to him…" Saya repeated. "I should have known that you would realize I was here. There aren't many people who can trace my reitsu like you can."

"How is Juushiro doing by the way?"

Saya's breath hitched in her throat. She refused to answer his question.

"Hmm." Shunsui said. Saya could feel his intense gaze but refused to meet his eyes.

"I'm searching for my fiancé. We lost contact with the Central Forty-six and so he was sent here to gather information about the ryoka invasion. I don't know what happened to him, but he didn't return in the specified time and has made no contact with us. I fear the worst."

"You're here to search for your fiancé but you pay Juushiro a visit in the middle of the night?" His voice didn't sound judgmental or chastising, but all the same, Saya felt guilt take hold of her emotions.

She refused to acknowledge his comment and Shunsui remained silent for a long time and didn't speak until Saya turned her cold gaze back to him and spoke first. "I _want_ to take him back with me."

"Who? Oshiro-kun?" He asked, a smile edged the corner of his lips.

Saya narrowed her eyes and gave a quick nod.

"I'm sorry, I can't help you with that."

"No. I didn't think you could." Saya heard a medical squad approaching and knew that Nanao would be somewhere nearby, ready to report to her captain. "Do me a favor, Aniki. Pretend I was never here."

"Again with the whole pretending you don't exist thing? I'm not very good at that. Won't you come back to my offices? We'll…"

"No. Sayonara, Kyouraku-taicho." Saya turned once more, ready to flash away when she felt Shunsui's hand on her shoulder. Her eyes widened as she turned her head and met her brother's warm brown eyes with her cool blue ones.

"First, don't say that to me. Secondly, I can't let you go, Saya-chan. Like I said, you've made yourself a suspect. Please come back to my offices. I'll question you privately and…"

Saya turned out of her brother's grasp, her hand on the hilt of Kamikaze. "I believe I already said goodbye. I won't be coming back with you. I already told you why I've come here."

Shunsui smirked, but didn't break Saya's gaze. "Do you really need to do that, Imouto?" He motioned his head towards her sword.

Saya's eyes narrowed once again. She turned her back on the man she still though of as her brother. Saya lifted her long ponytail, revealing the King's chrysanthemum in the center of her haori. She turned her gaze back to Shunsui. "I'm here with the backing of his Imperial Highness. I won't be coming back to your offices, Kyouraku-taicho. Don't make me repeat myself again." Saya turned to leave and once again she was stopped.

"Imouto, why are you running away?" Shunsui asked.

Saya stood frozen.

Running away. He had said it.

She was running, hiding, avoiding. She hadn't faced what she truly wanted, what she truly was.

It didn't matter.

Saya didn't look back as she finally flashed away from Shunsui.

* * *

Juushiro awoke feeling a sense of refreshment that had escaped him for years, maybe decades. The dream he had of Saya seemed so real, but he knew he would be fooling himself to think that she was there with him. He had assumed that she was married off to that young prince, Oshiro, by now. The thought of her with another man made his stomach churn, but at least he hoped she was happy. In the end, her happiness was the most important to him.

He had barely gotten dressed when he heard a knock at his door.

"Ukitake-taicho, an urgent message carrying the combined authority of Yamamoto-soutaicho and Hitsugaya-taicho."

Ukitake was curious as to what this news could be. He slid open his door to find a young man from the Dark Brigade kneeling down before him. "Yes, go on."

"I'm here to report that Aizen-taicho was found murdered. Cause of death was severe heart trauma and removal of the hakusui with a zanpakuto."

Ukitake couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What? Aizen was murdered? When? Who did it? Why?"

The sudden spike in Ukitake's spiritual pressure caught the officer off guard and he fell onto his backside. "This… this morning, sir. The suspect and motive are still unclear."

Ukitake stepped out onto his front deck and looked out over his lake. "Why did this have to happen while I was asleep? Unforgivable!"

The Dark Brigade officer was still on his backside. Ukitake looked down at him and sighed.

"You are dismissed. Thank you for bringing me this message."

It was times like these that Juushiro hated his weak lungs. He always felt that he could have done something if it weren't for his illness. Juushiro was sure that he could have stopped this tragedy from occurring had he been healthy enough to protect his fellow captain.

_Where are my two third-seats? And why didn't they tell me of this earlier?_

"Kiyone! Sentarou!"

It took less than two seconds before they were both at his feet.

"Yes, Captain?" They both said in unison.

"Were you aware of the news about Aizen?"

The two third seats gave each other a side-glance. "Hai, Taicho."

Ukitake tried not to let his irritation show through too much. "Why wasn't I informed?"

"I wanted to tell you, Ukitake-taicho, but Kiyone wouldn't let me!" Sentarou shouted.

"I was only concerned for you health, Taicho! I didn't want to upset you while you were recovering!"

Ukitake put his hand up to stop them from saying anything further. He couldn't get upset with them. They did what they felt was right even if he wished differently. Juushiro was about to address them again when he felt an intense spiritual pressure from the direction of the repentance tower along with three much weaker reitsus.

_Now what could Byakuya-kun be up to?_

"Kiyone, Sentarou, don't follow me, it'll be dangerous. I'll be back soon."

* * *

Saya flashed as quickly as she could towards Souta's spiritual pressure. She wanted to leave Shunsui and his words behind. Saya chuckled to herself when she realized she was running away, once again. She wondered if there was ever a time that she ever really stood up for what she wanted, if she ever faced a challenge head on.

There had been a time like that, but it was when she was by Juushiro's side. Ever since she returned the king's realm, she's been ducking her duties, running away from what people wanted her to do. She'd been running away from herself even. Now she was acting more on self-preservation than anything. She didn't want anyone to find out that Aizen was her father, knowing it would surely mean the end of her life. Saya wasn't ready to die and it made her feel like a coward and a hypocrite. With as many families and clans that she had destroyed because of treacherous acts, it was ironic that she might be killed because of the same thing.

She couldn't imagine what the king's cabinet would say. Not only would she be considered guilty by relation to Aizen, she would be considered to have committed the most disgraceful act. A blood-traitor to His Majesty. It was the most shameful thing she could think of and the thought sickened her.

It was how she came to the conclusion of destroying Aizen before anyone could find out their connection. Not only that, but she did have her own revenge in mind. Saya wanted to make him pay for the crimes he had committed and to stop him from committing even more heinous acts.

But someone had taken care of that for her. She felt a bit of relief at not having to face her father. But she also felt like she had been denied her rightful justice.

And still part of her wanted to believe that he wasn't a monster, though she was fully aware of the fact that he was.

Saya could feel the rage boiling within her and tried to turn her mind to more pleasant thoughts. She knew the more upset she became, the less control she had over hiding her reitsu. It was of the utmost importance to Saya that she controlled her feelings. She kept trying to remind herself that her number one priority was finding her fiancé and returning to the king's realm. It was the only choice for her at that point and she knew it. If she tarried too long, a squad would be sent to take her back to the King.

Although the thought of Rukia's execution weighed on her mind, Saya knew she didn't have the ability to stop it nor should she involve herself. She wasn't supposed to have contact with anyone while in the Sereitei. Interfering wouldn't be in her best interest and she had no desire to deal with what the consequences would be for her actions.

Saya made her way to the back gate of the Central Committee's headquarters. Souta was there waiting for her.

"There's still no way in, Saya-sama. And it almost seems as if it's deserted. But I'm sure they have hidden themselves inside considering the fact that intruders have been able to cause so much damage in the Sereitei."

"You're right. They would most likely barricade themselves inside in these situations."

"Another thing. The two lieutenants that were involved in the scuffle surrounding Aizen's death were jailed, but recently, both of them have managed to escape their cells. The girl busted herself out but it appears as if the other fukutaicho had some help."

Saya gave Souta a surprised look. "Hinamori-chan broke out of her cell? That seems very unlike her."

"Do you know her very well, Saya-sama?"

"Not particularly, she was rather fond of Aizen and would often be there when I tried to visit." Saya couldn't help but let some bitterness seep into her tone. It seemed that any thoughts of Aizen caused upset in Saya.

Souta just nodded. It was clear he didn't really know what to say.

Saya stood there frustrated. She could contact the King's realm and have them order the Central Forty-six to open their doors, but she was supposed to under the radar. She also didn't want to cause any tension between the governing body and the ruler who had given them their power. Saya knew that it would undermine their authority more than anything. She scowled. It was hard to be both productive and political at the same time.

Her attention shifted towards the Repentance Tower as she felt Byakuya's reitsu flare.

"What's going on there?" Souta asked.

Saya shook her head as she narrowed her eyes. She could feel several spiritual pressures; the ones familiar to her were those of Byakuya, Juushiro, and the weak presence of Rukia's. The others were unfamiliar, though two of them were incredibly powerful.

She fought the urge to run to the tower to see what was going on. Juushiro had seemed so ill just hours prior, and now his reitsu appeared to be at full strength.

"Souta-kun, go and find out the details and then report back to me. I'll try to discover more about the motives and goings on of our recently escaped fukutaichos."

"Hai." Souta flashed towards the direction of the tower and Saya was left there wishing she could move more freely around the Sereitei.

She sighed as she tried to find a place to hide herself. It was hard since the Central Chambers was built in such a way that no one could easily conceal themselves near the governing branch of the Sereitei. She found that she had to leave the central grounds in order to not be seen.

* * *

After finding an abandoned looking storage shed within the seventh division, Saya hid and tried to center herself so she could focus on locating a familiar reitsu. Hinamori was incredibly talented with kidou, and Saya was sure that she could hide herself as well as any captain-class shinigami, and therein lay the problem.

Although talented at tracing reitsu, Saya was having a difficult time locating Aizen's young fukutaicho.

_"She was so obsessed with him that it's likely she'll go along with any of his plans."_ Saya said to Kamikaze.

_"That's true, but she's also young and hasn't reached her full talent yet. I doubt Aizen would waste his time on her. Besides, she was always too much of a goody-goody. There's no way she could lie about treachery." _Kamikaze yawned and leaned on their tree.

Saya smirked but continued to search for the girl. After more than an hour of tracking Hinamori's reitsu and having no success, Saya was starting to feel incredibly frustrated.

_"I can't believe she's _that _good at hiding herself! Really, I shouldn't be having this much trouble. I'm going to have to use a tricky kidou. The regular way-of-binding search won't work because she's trying to keep herself hidden. I just hope that I remember how to perform it correctly."_

_"Well, you had a good teacher."_

Saya scoffed as she remembered when her father had first taught her this high level of kidou. He was always talented when it came to the demon arts and though now she hated to admit it, he was the reason she was able to use so many forms of it.

Saya knelt to the ground and placed her palms in the dirt. She recited the incantation a few times in her head to make sure she remembered the lines. She started to draw an intricate pattern of caricatures within an oblong circle as she began chant.

"Heart to heart, mind to mind. Let the eyes of man be shared with all things living. Fingertips of the four winds find the heels of scattered crows. Way of binding eighty-nine, lightening seeks fallen stars."

Within seconds Saya had locked on to Hinamori's position. The drawing she had made in the dirt became like a mirror and displayed Hinamori and her surroundings. She was nearing the grounds of the third division. Saya stood and secured her zanpakuto to her side.

_"Let's go, Kamikaze. If Hinamori is involved in Aizen's scheme in any way, it'll be easy enough to get answers out of her."_

Saya saw as Kamikaze stood in an alert state on one of the tree branches, he wore a smirk and seemed ready for any possibility that stood before them.

_"You seem rather excited Saya-sama."_

_"I could say the same to you."

* * *

_

Now that Saya was aware of Hinamori's position and had seen the direction she was heading, it didn't take long to catch up to her. Saya severed her connection with Hinamori once she had Momo in her sight and was surprised by what she saw. Hinamori had her sword pointed at the captain of the tenth division and she appeared to be crying. Ichimaru stood in the background with a fox-like grin on his face while his lieutenant seemed to be uneasy with the situation.

Saya stood where she was sure she couldn't be seen, but had a good view of everything that was happening. Saya tried to listen to what the Momo was saying, but was only able to catch pieces of it.

"That conspirator's name is Hitsugaya, Toshirou."

Saya frowned and looked at the young captain, hand on the hilt of her sword.

"Captain Aizen also said that he had successfully convinced you to meet him at the Eastern Holy Wall. He said that if he was unable to stop you from destroying the Sereitei, that he wished for me to be the one to carry out his wishes."

Saya's frown only deepened as she listened to Hinamori. It didn't make any sense. First, Saya didn't think that Aizen would name one of his conspirator's. Secondly, there was no way that such a young captain could stand up to him. He wouldn't have been killed by such and inexperienced boy, even if this young man was incredibly talented for his age. Saya shook her head, feeling frustrated and useless. Nothing was making any sense.

_"Kamikaze, surely my father wouldn't actually be trying to protect the Sereitei in any way? He would have used any other destructive plan to his advantage. It doesn't make sense that he would share this information with that girl."_

_"Perhaps it's fake information?"_

_"But what good does that do him if he's dead?"_

Kamikaze didn't have an answer and was starting to look as frustrated as Saya. A sudden icy spike in reitsu grabbed her attention as she watched the young captain call out Ichimaru and warned Izuru to flee.

"Sit upon the frosted heavens, Hyourinmaru!"

Saya was blasted by the sudden increase in spiritual pressure emanating from both captains and had to raise her own reitsu to withstand it.

_"Hyourinmaru? The ice-dragon zanpakuto? So that's the boy who won. How interesting."_

_"You're really thinking about that right now, Saya-sama? The Sereitei has fallen in on itself, the King's Realm is in high risk if we can't trust the captains to work together to even protect their home."_

_"Well, I was just thinking."_ Saya scoffed. _"I don't think they'll kill each other anyway."_

She could see Kamikaze shaking his head at her. _"I think they have every intention to kill each other. Look, it's getting more intense."_

Saya looked up to the rooftop that the two captains stood upon. The young captain had Ichimaru in a frozen grasp.

_"Chances are that Ichimaru knows something. He was always so loyal to Aizen, even after he became a captain. He probably still thought of Aizen as a superior."_

But Saya's eyes widened as she saw Gin release his zanpakuto. Hitsugaya was able to dodge it but the sword was headed straight towards Hinamori.

"Kamikaze!" Saya released her shikai and slashed through the air, allowing her boomerang shaped blades to hurl towards Ichimaru's Shinsou. It wasn't enough to stop the captain's blade, but it would buy her enough time to reach Hinamori and remove her from the danger. She was surprised when she Matsumoto standing in front of Momo, blocking Ichimaru's sword with her own.

Saya grew tense as she noticed Rangiku being pushed back by Gin's sword. Her zanpakuto started to crack under the pressure.

Saya looked up at Gin and noticed that, even if for a moment, his customary grin had vanished. He withdrew his sword and started to turn to walk away.

"Where do you think you're going? I'm not done with you yet!" Hitsugaya yelled behind him.

"Instead of coming after me, don't you think that you should attend to your underling? She got a little hurt standing up to me like that."

Hitsugaya turned to see that Rangiku had, in fact, injured her hands and wrists.

"And you Saya-chan! Don' ya' think ya' should be more careful? After all the trouble ya' go through concealing yourself, only to let yourself be seen by two captains and their lieutenants. How careless! Your father would probably be a little disappointed in ya', don' ya think?"

Saya's eyes widened as Gin's grin became more prominent. Before she could gather herself to say anything he flashed away with Izuru following behind. She turned her attention to the young captain and his fukutaicho.

"Saya-chan, is that really you?" Matsumoto asked. She clutched her hands together and held them close to her body.

"Could it be anyone else?" Saya looked at her old friend and gave a smile that didn't seem to reach her eyes.

It had been so long since she had seen Rangiku and these weren't the circumstances in which she wished to reunite.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Hitsugaya asked with all the authority and tone befitting a captain.

"My name is Saya. I'm afraid that I cannot share with you the reason's for my being in the Sereitei."

"Captain, she used to be the lieutenant of squad nine, under Tosen-taicho. Saya-chan, I owe you some gratitude, had you not slowed Gin's sword, I don't think that I could have saved Hinamori."

Saya nodded.

"Won't you come back to the tenth division with us? Perhaps we could learn a little bit from each other." The captain offered, though Saya felt he suspected her of something. Why shouldn't he? She had seemingly appeared out of nowhere and wouldn't answer a basic question.

Saya thought on it for a moment, but ultimately decided against it. "I'm here with specific orders. I've already put myself and others at risk by interfering in your scuffle. I just didn't want to see Hinamori get hurt is all."

Rangiku looked a little disappointed while the captain gave Saya a cold stare.

_He could compete with Byakuya in an "icy glare" contest._

Saya walked over to where Hinamori was lying on the ground. She made a show of checking her forehead and pulse while skillfully removing the letter that had supposedly been written by her father.

"She's fine, just knocked out." Saya said turning around to face Rangiku and Hitsugaya.

"I'm afraid that someone is going to use Kuchiki-san's execution as a means of destroying the Soul Society. She was led to believe it was me." Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes. "You bear the King's crest on your back, so you should be concerned. If the Sereitei is somehow destroyed, the enemy will come after you next."

Saya sighed. "It is the duty of the shinigami to protect the Sereitei and to keep anyone from entering the King's Realm. Only if the barrier is breached will the Zero Division, along with the king's personal guard, step in to help. Please take care of this for us. We are depending on your strength." Saya gave a quick bow. "But perhaps if you think this is all related to the odd circumstances surrounding Kuchiki-san's execution, then I would suggest that you use your authority as a captain to some how stop it from happening."

With that Saya flashed away and hid herself in the abandoned shed, only sending out a pulse of reitsu at infrequent intervals so that Souta could locate her. She read the letter over and over. She believed that someone was trying to destroy the Soul Society, but she had believed that person to be her father. And he was dead. Saya wasn't able to believe the young captain Hitsugaya was a conspirator and he was probably right in suspecting Ichimaru Gin of foul play.

Souta returned a while later to fill Saya in on what had happened at the repentance tower. She smiled when Souta told her about Juushiro following Byakuya to scold him about allowing Rukia to be killed.

"Saya-sama, I think it's most important that we find Oshiro-sama and return. You're allowing yourself to get drawn into matters that don't concern us, especially now that your father is dead."

Saya nodded. "I know. We will." Saya sat quietly for a moment before an idea struck her. "Souta-kun, will you please wait here? I am going to sneak into the fourth division. If perhaps something happened to Hideo-dono, he would have been taken to the fourth for medical treatment. I will look for him there."

* * *

Saya shuffled through the rooms as quietly as possible. Many of them were filled with members from the eleventh division, which she found humorous. For claiming to be the strongest division in the Soul Society, they had suffered the most injuries from the drifters.

Saya only had the restricted rooms left to search. She slowly opened the door and slid it closed silently behind her. It wasn't until she actually looked to see what room she had walked in to that Saya saw him.

There he was, her father, Aizen Sosuke, lying cold and stiff on a table. The moonlight that shone in from the small window made his skin glow in an eerie way. It was odd how peaceful he looked for having been so brutally murdered.

It wasn't the man she was looking for, but in a way, Saya was happy to have found him there. She walked over to the table and ran her fingertips over his forearm.

He was so cold to touch.

She sighed. "Oto-san, what were you up to? Why is it even death you have made it so that I must suspect you?" Saya looked down at the man lying there. It seemed that maybe he was just sleeping. "Why couldn't you be the father I remembered from when I was a child? This person lying here, I don't know him. No one does."

Saya looked out at the full moon and recalled the night she had first met him. It was a full moon and it shone brightly. They played together all night. It was a bittersweet memory for her now. She remembered that she had almost fallen into a nearby stream and how he had grabbed her just in time to keep her from falling in. In the process he had slipped on some mud and cut the inside of his thumb on a sharp rock. He laughed it off and said that fathers were supposed to protect their children and that it was a happy scar because whenever he looked at it, he would remember the night they first could be like father and daughter.

_"Saya-sama, you are alright, aren't you? That man, he has only betrayed you from the beginning."_

_"I know. It's just odd to think that someone could lie about everything."_

Saya lifted his hand to look at his scar.

It wasn't there.

Her brow furrowed and she picked up his right hand to look and see if perhaps she was looking at the wrong one.

The skin was smooth on both hands. There was no scar.

"What are you doing here Saya-san?" A sweet voice asked in the darkness.

Saya immediately drew her sword and held it in front of her. She watched Unohana step into the light and Saya sheathed her sword. "Forgive me, Unohana-taicho. I didn't mean for anyone to know I was here. I was looking for a friend of mine when I happened upon Aizen-taicho's body."

"Is that so? Perhaps you can tell me about your friend and we can find him together?"

"No, he's not here. I've already looked." Saya answered. She wanted to ask how long Unohana had been standing there, but decided she didn't really want to know.

"Can I ask why you are disturbing the Captain's body?"

Unease settled in around Saya. She knew better than to cross Unohana. Although very motherly and kind, Unohana was known to have incredible power. The healing captain wasn't someone Saya wanted to deal with.

Saya took a breath and felt her face return to an icy state. "Are you sure this is Aizen-taicho?"

It seemed odd to Saya that Unohana didn't seemed shocked by her question. "I have done a thorough exam and it does not seem like a corpse doll to me."

Saya nodded. "I see." She looked once more at her father's body. "I'm sorry for disturbing you, Unohana-taicho. I'll be taking my leave."

Unohana didn't put up a fight as Saya exited the room. She walked slowly down the halls of the medical building until she was outside. She then flashed back to the shack where Souta was waiting for her.

"Well?" He asked when she entered.

"Hideo-kun wasn't there." Saya sat down on a pallet.

"We should return to the King's Realm tomorrow morning then." He said. "His whereabouts are completely unknown and we aren't any closer to finding him today than we were when we first arrived."

"We can't return tomorrow." Saya allowed a hint of a smirk to play on her features. "There's an execution that needs to be stopped and a treacherous captain that needs to be slain."

* * *

**Author's Note**: Thank you all so much for sticking with me! I hope you won't have to wait months and months again. We're getting to the meat of it, aren't we? Again, thank you to all of my readers for being so patient with me! I do appreciate all of you very much!


	48. Chapter 48: Failings

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

Author's Note: Thank you for your kind words in response to the last chapter! I was nervous after not posting for so long, so I appreciate all the support very much!

* * *

Saya found it hard to sleep. She didn't know what the morning would bring, but she knew it was going to be a long day. The Soul Society would be turned upside down with more infighting and disagreements over Kuchiki's execution, Aizen's death, and the ryoka invasion.

_"If you're not going to rest, you should at least come spend some time with me." _Kamikaze said to her. _"Being in your inner world will allow you to focus better and get the rest your body needs without being asleep."_

Saya smiled to herself and looked at Souta. He was asleep, but it didn't look too peaceful. He was jumpy and anxious in his dream state.

Saya closed her eyes only to open them again to a field of purple flowers and long green grass. She sat beneath her favorite Jacaranda tree. It was peaceful in this world. Even with all the outside events causing her stress and worry, she was able to come to the calm part of herself. Kamikaze had always been good at that.

"Aren't you going to come down from that tree branch? You look like a cat up there all sprawled out on a limb."

Kamikaze scoffed. "Please don't insult me Saya-sama. No matter how majestic they may conduct themselves, even cats are not as graceful and powerful as the wind."

Saya chuckled to herself and wondered what Matsumoto's zanpakuto would have to say about that. Kamikaze jumped down and sat down beside her so that she could lay her head against his arm.

"Tomorrow is a big day, Saya-sama."

"Hmm… so it is."

"You're hoping Aizen doesn't reveal his connection with you."

"I am. But I'm starting to wonder if I should have told Souta-kun? I shouldn't make him keep this secret of mine. It was wrong of me."

"He asked to know the whole truth. I think he would have been hurt if the truth came out and you had never told him."

Saya nodded in agreement. "I suppose you're right. Still, the knowledge puts him in a certain level of danger that he shouldn't have to deal with. But if anyone can keep my secrets, it would be Souta."

The two sat silent for a while and watched as two amethyst colored butterflies chased each other around the field. Saya picked flowers and started braiding them together.

"You're not going to make me wear that, are you?" Kamikaze lifted a brow.

Saya smiled to herself. "Of course. Your eyes always look so pretty when there are flowers on your head."

Kamikaze sighed and closed his eyes. He always felt the need to complain, though secretly, he enjoyed Saya's little gifts.

"It's weird, isn't it? It's like the calm before the storm." Saya said quietly.

"We'll get through it together."

Saya nodded and continued to braid. She could feel Kamikaze studying her with and intense gaze.

"You're thinking about your pretty taicho and a very large part of you is happy just to be here in the Sereitei, even if it's not in the capacity you'd like." He smirked.

Heat filled Saya's cheeks. "I won't deny what you say is true. It's wrong of me… to think of him. I should be thinking about my fiancé. But I can't help it. I don't think that Juushiro will ever really be replaced in my heart. It was so nice, being by his side the other night. Even if just for a little while. And I do miss it here. It feels more like home to me than by my grandfather's side. The memories here, they're all shroud in happiness. But I shouldn't be yearning for a life I can't have."

Kamikaze put his arm around Saya's shoulder and pulled her closer. "Let your guilty feelings wash away, Saya-sama. It always seems that people want what they cannot or do not have. It gives you something to strive for."

"But it's wrong of me to strive for this life."

Kamikaze gave her a sad smile. He could feel Saya's confusion as if it were his own. If he had to describe her state, Kamikaze would say that it felt like Saya was stuck at the bottom of a dam. All of her feelings keep getting trapped behind a massive wall and were barely allowed to trickle through to the other side. He kissed her on the top of her head and wondered what it would look like when the dam broke.

Saya took a deep breath and held it a few moments before blowing it out. She finished tying the not on Kamikaze's flower crown before placing it on his head and smiled.

"All hail King Kamikaze! The strongest ruler of air!"

"The strongest ruler of air? Couldn't you have come up with something better? And this circlet is not befitting of a king. It's better suited for a princess." He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

Saya smiled. He made no attempt to remove it.

* * *

"You seem a little jittery, Saya-sama."

Saya gave Souta a harsh look. "Do I? I could say the same for you."

Souta shook his arms and shoulders as if he were trying to wiggle out of an unsettled skin. "It's your fault, I've never felt you this tense. It makes me worry."

Saya sighed and looked out over the rooftops of the Sereitei. The sun was just peeking over the horizon and filled the sky with rich purple and pink hues. "You're right, I am tense. We need to be on our guard. Do you feel it? Disquiet has blanketed the entire Sereitei. Even the buildings seem anxious."

Souta followed Saya's gaze and concentrated on the energy he felt. It was true; restlessness threatened with every gust of wind. "What are we doing?"

Saya stood still for a moment before the movement of one particular spiritual pressure caught her attention. "Let's follow the young captain and Matsumoto. But keep your distance and be sure to conceal yourself. He's quite good for being so young."

"Hai."

* * *

Saya watched with an intense gaze as the young captain and his fukutaicho broke into the Central Government.

"Why didn't we just do that the first time around, Saya-sama?" Souta-kun asked.

"Because we weren't supposed to make our presence here known. Besides, it's a lot easier for me if one of the captains breaks in. Otherwise, there would be fighting between the central forty-six and His Majesty. He gave them the power to rule over the Sereitei in his stead. What would it seem like if we went barging in there?"

"Yeah, but…"

"Hold your tongue, Souta. I have my reasons for doing things this way."

Saya noticed the firm set in Souta's jaw and perturbed look written on his face. But he didn't question any further.

"Let's give them a few minutes before following in after. I still want to move as stealth-fully as possible. Keep your spiritual pressure completely sealed. Understand?"

"Hai." Souta said.

"If the members are distracted by his presence then…" Saya stopped as she saw Kira-fukutaicho flash out of the building with Hitsugaya and Matsumoto chasing after him.

"What is going on and how did he get in there?" Souta wore a similarly confused face.

"I have no idea. The captain had to break in, didn't he? That means Kira was let inside by the members? But why would the let him in and keep everyone else out?" Saya was always frustrated when she had more questions than answers. "Let's proceed with great caution, Souta-kun."

He nodded and followed Saya through the gate and down into the main assembly hall. Both had their zanpakuto drawn should anyone try to attack them.

Saya gasped when she saw all the bodies.

"What on earth happened here?" Souta appeared to be in as much shock as Saya.

She didn't answer, but quickly scanned the bodies until she found a young man lying on the floor. Although she hoped her eyes were deceiving her, she knew what she saw was the truth. Saya ran over and knelt beside him.

"Hideo… who did this to you?" She couldn't muster more than a whisper. Tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes. "I shouldn't have sent you here. Forgive me." Saya placed her fingertips on the necklace she had asked him to wear and return to her when he had returned safely. He would never return to her. She left the necklace.

Kamikaze felt a small crack form in her dam. _"It's not your fault, Saya-sama. Keep your head about you."_

"Saya-sama, I'm so sorry." Souta-kun stood behind her and laid a hand on her shoulder.

She shook her head and looked down at Hideo's handsome face. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself before standing up and looking over the room again. It was too dangerous to let her guard down, and though she wanted to mourn properly for Hideo, it wasn't the time or the place.

A spike and then immense drop in spiritual pressure turned Saya's attention towards what were the living and community quarters of the Central Government.

_Hinamori?_ She thought.

But another pressure was traveling their way, and fast too.

"Souta, hide yourself, quickly!"

They both flashed out of sight and watched as Hitsugaya-taicho flashed passed them. Saya motioned for Souta to remain where he was. She listened through the silence and stiffened at what she heard.

"Ichimaru and… Aizen?" Hitsugaya said in surprise.

Saya's eyes widened at hearing her father's name. She had been right in her suspicions. Everything was falling apart because of him. The night of her attack one hundred years earlier flashed through her mind. For a split second, panic soared through her veins and she froze in place.

_"Saya-sama, get a hold of yourself!"_ Kamikaze yelled.

It was enough to shake Saya out of her state. She remembered to breathe. She motioned to Souta to enter the edge of the residential quarters but reminded him to stay hidden. Her father came into view as she rounded the corner. Gin was standing next to him and Hinamori lay lifeless on the ground.

_Don't do anything stupid, Hitsugaya-taicho._

"Captain Hitsugaya came back earlier and in better shape than expected." Aizen mused to Gin.

"Sorry. I overestimated the effectiveness of Izuru's distraction."

Hitsugaya was clearly confused by what he saw and heard. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Us? Just analyzing our strategies. The most basic strategy is spreading out enemy forces, don't you think?"

Saya locked eyes with Souta and gave him a signal to stay put. She didn't want him doing anything foolish either and she needed him to go inform the King's Guard of Aizen's treachery. It surprised her to hear her father talking somewhat freely.

"Aizen, Ichimaru, since when did you two become comrades?"

"From the very beginning." Aizen answered in his smooth tone.

"Since before you faked your death?" Hitsugaya asked again.

_"How slow of him, didn't he just say 'the very beginning'? Gin's been his subordinate for years."_ Saya said to Kamikaze. She was a little surprised by the captain's naivety. But then again, her father put on an amazingly good act.

"You're slow. I said from the _very_ beginning."

Saya's mouth set into a harsh line. She didn't like hearing that she and her father had similar thoughts and judgments about things.

"Since I became a captain, there wasn't a single moment that I thought of anybody but him as my vice-captain." Aizen smirked.

"Ever since the beginning… you've deceived us all?" Hitsugaya yelled as he turned to face Aizen.

"It was never my intention to deceive you. It was just that out of all of you, there wasn't a single person that could ever see my true face."

Saya could feel the outrage in Hitsugaya's spirtual pressure. She too felt disgust towards the man before her, but was trying to keep herself in control. Hitsugaya was allowing himself to fall for Aizen's trap. Saya knew that someone who was overcome by emotions was easier to defeat than someone with a level head.

_Just a little longer. I need you to dig yourself a little deeper._

"Aizen, I'm going to kill you!" Hitsugaya released his bankai.

"Don't say such strong words. It makes your weakness that much more apparent."

She stepped out from her hiding spot. "Don't!" She yelled but it was too late. Saya blinked and in an instant she saw Hitsugaya fall to the ground. She looked at the young boy and watched the light fade from his eyes then turned to look at her father.

"How is that even possible? How could you have attacked him like that?"

"You are too careless, Saya-chan. Didn't Gin already warn you to watch yourself?" Aizen smirked then took a look around. "Nice scene, isn't it?" Gesturing to the ice that coated the pillars of the chamber. "But it's not the season for it. Let's go Gin."

Saya froze to her spot and fear once again started to take hold of her senses. Moments later she heard a soft voice from behind her.

"I thought you would be here, Captain Aizen."

Saya turned to see Unohana.

"No, I shouldn't call you 'Captain' anymore, should I? Treacherous reprobate, Aizen Sosuke."

Saya felt a little better knowing that Unohana was there. She was an incredibly talented shinigami and Saya was sure that she would be able to heal Hitsugaya and possibly Hinamori.

"Domo, Unohana-taicho."

_How can he be so calm? It's as if he knows he's going to get away with it. There's no way._ Saya stood stiff and tried to compose herself. She hoped that Souta kept himself hidden. She listened as Unohana explained her theory to Aizen. He seemed amused by the whole thing.

"I didn't come here to hide and this isn't a corpse doll." Aizen held his body in front of him.

Everyone's eyes widened in shock as he released his zanpakuto.

"My soul cutter's ability is complete hypnosis."

Saya's breath hitched in her throat. It explained how he was able to maneuver so well and defeat his enemies with ease. But it made him even more formidable than she originally thought. This was a nasty power. Saya gave Souta the cue to return to the King's realm. It was enough that four people had witnessed Aizen's explanation.

Souta hesitated, it was clear he didn't want to leave her, but with one of her infamous glares, he flashed out of the chambers and was on his way to report to the King's guard.

"I don't think they'll make it in time to help you, Saya-chan." Aizen smirked at Saya's shocked face. "You didn't think I hadn't noticed that boy, did you? Besides, I doubt very much you'll want them here anyway."

Saya's eyes narrowed and she grabbed the hilt of her zanpakuto, but she wouldn't get the chance to draw her sword. With kido rope, Aizen and Gin disappeared in an instant. Saya stood and stared at the now empty space, her body shaking with infuriating rage.

Unohana began to administer treatment to Captain Hitsugaya and gave her vice-captain orders to locate Aizen and Ichimaru.

"It's Sokyoku!"

"I see. Please locate all the captains and vice-captains and transmit to them everything we know about Aizen Sosuke and his location. Also inform those drifters. I will commence Hitsugaya's and Hinamori's emergency operations." Unohana ordered.

Unohana gave a glance at Saya.

"And what will you be doing?" She asked in her soft voice.

Saya didn't need another cue. She bolted out of the Chambers and flashed as quickly as she could to Sokyoku Hill. She prayed that everyone would make it there in time. As she ran and ran, she found herself wishing that she were as talented as Byakuya-sama at flash step.

But she wasn't the only one running towards Sokyoku Hill. She felt all the different spiritual pressures, some familiar some strange, turn their attention towards Aizen. Everyone was racing against time and Saya had never felt so far away from the place she needed to be. Her senses perked when she felt the comforting pressures of Juushiro and Shunsui. Like her own, their reitsu were in high alert.

She set her eyes on the hill and noticed that the execution stand had been destroyed. She focused all of her energy into getting her to the hill.

* * *

Juushiro's awareness of Saya became all too present as he felt her reitsu. He could tell she was feeling agitated and he could taste the panic and fear in her spirit. It wasn't like her to react that way. In the past, she had a cool confidence about her, almost bordering on arrogant at times. She wasn't feeling that way now and he could only assume that it was because of Aizen.

He caught the eye of Shunsui as they ran towards Sokyoku and shot him a look. Shunsui looked the same way he always did when he took a fight seriously. His eyes were cool, composed, and filled with guile. The look in Shunsui's eye also told Juushiro that he knew Saya was in the Sereitei. Juushiro chastised himself for not being more aware. He was so consumed with Rukia's execution and finding a way to stop it that he had let some details slip by him. It wasn't like him.

He pushed faster, trying to get to the hill. He knew Saya was a capable warrior, but the panic he felt from her did nothing to ease his mind. He wanted to protect her.

* * *

Saya strained to get to the hill. She could feel her father's spiritual pressure dominating a weaker and injured reitsu. Whoever it was didn't really stand a chance in a battle with him. Her brow furrowed. Others would make it there before her. She wanted to be the one to deal the final blow.

One-by-one, Saya felt as people tried to stand up to her father, only to fail in the end. She could barely even feel Rukia's reitsu under the immense weight of her father's. It made her sick to her stomach and she questioned how she would manage to stand up to him. But she knew she had to and did her best to force any doubt from her mind.

_"We'll do it together, Saya-sama."_

She nodded and focused on her speed.

* * *

Byakuya had only grabbed Rukia moments before Ichimaru's zanpakuto dealt her a deathblow. She started crying out for Byakuya and held on to him tightly. It was apparent to Saya that he had already suffered some major injuries, taking the full brunt of Shinsou would probably push him to the limit.

She was right.

The strong, talented Byakuya she knew was unable to move away from Aizen's raised sword.

"Blow through the skies of heaven, Kamikaze!" Saya released her zanpakuto and sent her shikai racing towards her father.

He smirked and deflected all of the blades that flew at him as if they were nothing more than a swarm of gnats.

Saya's eyes widened. "No… no way!" She cried out.

She didn't want to reveal her bankai in front of everyone, but realized she had no choice. Soifon and another women whom she didn't recognize had him in their grasps. Like always, he seemed completely un-phased.

"If you move one muscle…"

"You'll lose your head." Soifon finished.

Saya knew she had to make her move. "Bankai!"

The sudden release of spiritual pressure pulled everyone's eyes towards her. "Kamikaze Kagemusha!" (Divine wind, Shadow warrior). An fierce, onyx-black tornado started to spin around Saya. She stood in the very center with her hair whipping in the wind. It gathered speed around her, waiting to be sent towards its victim.

Aizen looked amused. "So you showed it?"

Saya's eyes narrowed. "Aizen Sosuke, you have deliberately committed acts of treason against His Majesty the king and your fellow shinigami. Your life is forfeit."

She heard him chuckle and it caused her to hesitate. How could he be so confident? She knew he had no chance with all the Soul Society standing against him and her bankai staring him in the face. Yet he seemed so calm, so amused. Like all the devastation and panic he caused was a fun little game to him. It caused Saya to freeze.

Saya hesitated further when she realized more people had arrived. Gin had been captured by Matsumoto, the gate keepers had shown up and she could sense that the head captain, along with Juushiro and Shunsui, had surrounded him as well.

She cringed as he gave a final chuckle.

Before she allowed herself to get more distracted and it became too late, Saya sent Kamikaze racing towards him. The giant tornado that surrounded her turned into a black streak as it rushed towards Aizen's haksui. She knew it would take more than one strike to destroy Aizen's spiritual power and life force, but it was impossible to block Kamikaze in his final release form.

"Sorry, but it's time."

"Soifon, get away!"

Saya watched as the captain and her comrade jumped away from Aizen. It was only a moment later that Saya sensed it coming.

"Kamikaze, return!"

Her zanpakuto easily switched its direction and returned to meld with the rest of her blade. She quickly sheathed her sword. It was useless now. Her eyes narrowed as she watched the protective hollow barrier consume the three traitors. If she had let Kamikaze continue on his path, he would have been lost to her.

_I failed again._ Saya turned her head to the sky as she saw dozens of menos on the other side.

She clenched her jaw but wore an icy mask as she watched her father ascend the skies. The shinigami around her were yelling at their former comrades, people they had counted as friends.

Of course they were shocked. They couldn't believe that this could happen right under their noses. Saya wasn't surprised. She had known her father's plans a hundred years ago. Guilt settled over her. She had put everyone in more danger just to keep her secret. She felt stupid over it now. It would have been better to lose her own life to protect those of the ones she cared for.

_"Why didn't I just come out with the truth when I remembered it, Kamikaze?"_

Her violet-eyed friend gave her a sorrowful look. _"I don't think we ever expected him to go this far with his plans, Saya-sama. We didn't think there was any way that he could get away with it. Don't blame yourself."_

She turned her head when she heard Juushiro's strong, commanding voice.

"To sink all the way to a level of allying yourself with menos… what are you trying to do?"

"To go higher." Aizen answered as if the answer were obvious.

"Have you fallen in the process, Aizen?"

Saya looked at her father again. She couldn't bear it anymore and turned to walk away.

"No one starts out on top of the world. Not you, not me, not even Gods. But the unbearable vacancy of the throne in the sky is over. From now on, I will be sitting on it."

An odd silence covered the grounds. Saya kept her slow pace.

"But I couldn't have done it without a little help. So I must thank you, Saya-chan. My beloved daughter. It was you who first informed me about the Hougyoku and its powers."

Saya stopped. Her body froze in shock. She had to remind herself to breathe. She slowly turned to face him. He looked much colder with his hair slicked away from his face and with his glasses gone. He was almost unrecognizable to her but his new look seemed to suit him better. She felt the eyes of everyone on her. No one could really believe what he just said.

"How does it feel, knowing that this is the second time you've been unable to stop me. Do the scars from the past sting with the failure of the present?"

Saya placed a hand over her chest where her deepest cut had been before meeting his eyes. A smirk that perfectly matched his spread across her lips. To everyone around them, it was easy to see the similarity between the father and daughter.

"You give too much credit to an ignorant pawn, oto-san. But I am thankful for every failure. It gets me that much closer to defeating you. Already, this time I am standing on my feet. Next time, I will be standing over your cold body."

Aizen's smile spread and he chuckled to himself. "Good-bye shinigami, good-bye young drifter. You are an interesting human. And good-bye, my little Saya."

The sky closed with Aizen, Tosen, and Ichimaru on the other side.

Saya's smirk faltered. She turned to look at her brother who was studying her with a curious look in his eye. She gave him a weak smile. Her focus shifted towards Juushiro. His brown eyes were swimming with confusion, but they didn't hold judgment. Saya wanted nothing more than to run to him.

"Juushiro, I…" But she was cut off when she felt five blades pressed against her neck.

"I wouldn't move if I were you, blood traitor." The voice was distorted behind a full-face mask.

Saya smirked. "It's about time the King's Guard showed up. And you must be my replacement."

* * *

**Author's Note**: Thank you so much to all my readers! This had been in my head before I had even written the first chapter, so I was happy to get it down on paper! Woo hoo! But as you tell there is more to come! I hope that you are still enjoying the fic! I have to admit, it's much easier to make up the story when you don't have to follow the actual manga! Haha.


	49. Chapter 49: Tears fall

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach.

Warning: This chapter is definitely a little... uh... "shoujo-ish" ^_^ sorry!

* * *

"I am His Majesty's personal body guard." Her tone was flat.

"Like I said, my replacement. So, replacement saya, could you tell me why you held back your forces instead of going after the enemy?"

Saya could feel the irritation radiating off of the girl. "I didn't hold back. We only got here a moment after the Negation had been released."

"I see." Saya narrowed her eyes.

"It doesn't matter. I don't need to explain myself to the likes of you and you are in no place to be questioning us. It appears that you knew of the traitor's plans and kept them secret. You are also his daughter. How disgraceful for you and shameful for your family."

"Listen well, Irekaebuhin*, if I were you, I wouldn't be speaking so quickly on what is disgraceful or shameful when it comes to _my_ family." Saya sneered. (A/N:*Irekaebuhin apparently means "replacement parts" which I figured would be kind of offensive because Saya just referred to her as a "thing" instead of as a person.)

"Silence or you'll lose your head!"

Saya couldn't hold back her smirk. She tried, it was too much like her father's, but like his it came out naturally when she felt she had won at something.

"Lose my head? No, I don't think I'll be doing that. At least not right now anyway." Saya delivered her line calmly. "There must be some debate about what to do with me, no? Otherwise my head would already be detached."

"Yare, yare. What's going on here, Saya-chan?" Shunsui stepped closer, pulling on the brim of his hat. Juushiro followed by his side.

"Captains, please step away from the criminal. She has committed several serious crimes and must be judged to the full extent of the King's law."

Shunsui got an interesting twinkle in his eye. "Now, now, I think that's pushing it too far. Keeping secrets and making bad judgment calls aren't war crimes."

Saya ignored them all. "Really, Irekaebuhin, did you have to surround me with the five weakest guards you brought with you?" Saya flicked one of the swords with her finger. "I don't know how to feel about it. Relieved because you've probably deduced that I am not going to cause any harm to the king and his forces; or insulted because perhaps you thought these men would be enough to take me down if perhaps I really were a reprobate like Aizen." Saya leered at a guard out of the corner of her eye. "I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and say it's because you trust me. Otherwise I would take great offense in this situation." To her satisfaction, the five men surrounding her all shifted uncomfortably.

"I don't care if you take offense or not. I told you to keep silent." The replacement saya drew her sword as well.

"What is all the fuss over here?" Yamamoto made his way towards the commotion surrounding Saya.

Saya bowed to Yamamoto-soutaicho. "Where I come from, we don't take kindly to a traitor's family members. So I'm being arrested by Irekabuhin and my men."

"You can call me Haitsuchi* and they're _my_ men." Even through the distortment of her voice, Saya could hear the fury drip of her tongue. (*Ashes and earth).

Saya opened her mouth to retort, but she was knocked upside the head by a blast of Soutaicho's spiritual pressure. She and Haitsuchi flinched. The five guards surrounding her were knocked to her knees.

"See? Weak." Saya said with a click of her tongue.

"Silence, both of you. Stop your bickering. This battlefield is no place to have this conversation. I am familiar enough with His Majesty's laws to know that you are indeed considered a criminal, Saya." He turned his attention to Haitsuchi. "But Marshall Law was declared over the Sereitei and currently all the power that was held by the Central Government lies with me until we are able to reestablish the administration. Unless you can provide me with direct documentation from His Majesty, Saya and her consequences are under my authority since she is here in this realm."

Saya did much better at hiding her smirk this time around. At least this part had gone as planned, but she had hoped not to find herself in this situation to begin with. She would have a few extra days before her fate was decided. Saya was sure she would be executed, but it would give her time to convey any information she could about her father. Though, she wasn't sure if she really had anything to offer, he had directly told the Sereitei about his plans.

Haitsuchi shifted uncomfortably and nodded. The men around Saya sheathed their zanpakuto but held their formation around her.

"I don't have anything to show. Her fate is being decided by His Majesty and his cabinet as we speak." Haitsuchi said. "I won't say anything further."

"Hmmm." Yamamoto-soutaicho responded. "Then he can send an emissary when it's been decided. Until then, I will place Saya under arrest and she will be kept within the eighth division detention center. Please let your superiors know that we will be questioning Saya about the events that have taken place using our own means and that the emissary may come with his own questions if desired."

It didn't seem like Haitsuchi favored the idea and when she made no response after several moments, Yamamoto opened one eye and gazed at her intently. She immediately recoiled and called her men to return to the King's Realm.

"I'll deliver your message, General."

"Wait, please!" Saya called to Haitsuchi just before she flashed away. "The prince's body lays within the central government. Please return his body to his family so they can mourn for him properly. A man like him shouldn't have to slumber in that kind of tomb." Saya noticed the edge of pleading within her voice, but she didn't care. This one thing was really important to her.

Haitsuchi nodded and then with a flash, Haitsuchi and her men were off. Saya felt forty-five other reitsu travel away from her.

_"There she goes, Kamikaze. The replacement."_ Saya gave an audible sigh.

_"Let's hope the only thing she mentions is what Yamamoto-soutaicho said to her. You did act a little impertinent. Probably not the best behavior considering our delicate situation."_

_"Well, they've kept me separated from my replacement the entire time I've been back at the palace. It was harder for me than I thought it would be, to see someone else acting in my place. Especially when that someone wants to slice off my head. Besides, if the situation were reversed _I_ would have gotten here in time. She's clearly incompetent."_

Saya could see Kamikaze roll his eyes at her as he gave a snort.

Saya paused for a few moments. _"She will treat him respectfully though, won't she? Hideo-dono I mean?"_

_"Hai, Saya-sama. She will."_

Saya breathed an easy sigh of relief at Kamikaze's reassurance.

Feeling someone grab a hold of her arm, Saya turned to see that it was Shunsui with a small smile on his face. His eyes held the same warmth and brotherly love, but with a bit of added curiosity, that they always held when looking at her. He gave her a little wink. "You'll have to hand Kamikaze over to us for now, Saya-chan."

For the first time since Saya could remember, she gave him a genuine smile in return. "Of course. At least you're not cutting us off from each other." She untied her zanpakuto from her side and handed it to Nanao who had rejoined her captain's side. Saya was careful not to look at Juushiro, who was standing only feet away.

* * *

Shunsui led her to his division and it made Saya feel oddly happy. For the first time in a long time and even with the surrounding circumstances, Saya felt at home. She felt at peace. She felt like she didn't have anything to hide.

"I don't want to put you in here, Saya-chan." Shunsui said as he opened the cell door. "But since old man Yama said it so directly..."

"It's fine, Shunsui. I don't mind." Saya walked in and sat on the small cot in the corner.

Shunsui studied his sister for a few minutes as she stared out of the small window. "You seem to be in an awfully good mood, Saya-chan, considering the situation."

Saya chuckled a little bit. "It feels good. It's been so long since I haven't had to keep any secrets. It's been so long since I've been here in the Sereitei and it's actually _okay_ for me to be here. Even if it's from a prison cell, I feel oddly… free." Saya smiled. "I sound crazy, don't I, Aniki?"

Shunsui smiled and walked into the cell to join Saya. He pulled her off the bed and into a huge bear hug, which she enthusiastically returned.

"It's nice to hear you call me Aniki with that tone of voice."

He continued to hug her and placed his chin on the top of her head.

"So you mean it, when you say 'no secrets' huh?" He asked.

"Mmmhmmm. There's nothing for me to lose by telling the truth now. So I want to be honest with everyone and help in whatever way I can. At least that way, when I die, it will be with a clear conscience."

Saya felt Shunsui squeeze a little harder. "Why do you say that?" He whispered. "I feel like I might have actually gotten my little sister back this time. Yet you go and make such an unpleasant statement."

"I don't mean to upset you, Aniki. But didn't you hear what I said before? In the King's Realm, not only the traitor, but the traitor's family was put to death. There was no trial, there was no discussion, only death. For me to still be standing here with you is… well, nothing short of a miracle. Technically, my head shouldn't be attached to my body. Perhaps that's another reason why I feel so happy. I feel like I've cheated death, even if just for a fleeting moment. And in these last moments, I get to spend them in a place that I cherish with a person who is important to me."

Shunsui gave a little chuckle. "Good moods and verbosity go hand-in-hand, I suppose. This is the most you've said to me in the last forty-odd years."

Saya took a step back and smiled up at her brother. "Please believe me when I say I wanted it to be different."

In the same way he always had, Shunsui ruffled Saya's hair. "I believe you."

"Ne, Aniki! You'll mess up my hair!" Saya pushed his hand off of her head.

"It needs to be messed up. Look at it… it's much too long, hmmm?" Shunsui pulled at her ponytail, which fell to the small of her back.

"I don't think it's much longer than yours." She mumbled with a small laugh. Saya hadn't felt this way in so long. It was like she had said, she didn't care if she was to be executed in a few days time. She got to spend her last moments here and it made her drunk with happiness.

"May I interrupt the two of you?"

Saya's head jerked to the side. A small gasp escaped her lips when she saw him. She hadn't expected for Juushiro to come see her so soon, if at all. After all the years of yearning for him, of wanting to be near him, there he was. And she didn't know what to do.

"Of course you can, Juushiro." Shunsui ruffled Saya's hair again as he made his way towards the entrance of the cell. "I'll have to help Nanao with processing Saya anyway. You two enjoy yourselves. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"You aren't going to help her at all and that doesn't leave much out." Saya said in a voice much quieter than she meant it to be. She watched her brother's back as he walked out of the holding cell and out of sight.

Letting out a small breath, she turned her eyes towards Juushiro. Her breath hitched when she met his warm brown pools and she quickly turned her back towards him and looked out of the window. Her heart pounded so heavily in her chest that she was sure that Juushiro could hear it. She tried desperately not to let her breathing become too heavy, but the nerves she felt didn't help at all.

* * *

"Saya, are you alright?" Juushiro asked in a gingerly voice.

"I've been horrible to you for the last forty-odd years and you ask if I'm okay?" Saya said quietly as she fought back threatening tears.

"Saya…"

"I should ask if you're alright." Saya continued but she still couldn't bring herself to look at him. She could feel him standing right behind her. "All these years…" Saya stopped and took a deep breath, still struggling to retain her composure. She had to chuckle at herself a bit.

"What's funny?" Juushiro asked kindly.

"I can't help but laugh at what a coward I am. After all these years, of wanting you but not having you, I can't even look at you properly."

"Then turn around and look at me." Juushiro placed his hands on Saya's shoulders, she quickly shrugged them off. "Saya…" His pain started to seep in through his calm voice.

"It's not that I don't want you to touch me, Juushiro. I don't feel like I deserve your touches." She took a deep breath and continued to look out of the window. "I have a lot of things I want to say to you, and for now, I need you to just stand there and listen while I say them. After that, you can decide if I am worthy of your gentleness."

"Then turn around and at least say it to me properly." Juushiro said.

Saya sighed again and her eyes dropped to the floor.

_"Don't hide from him, Saya-sama. It's a cruel thing to do. It's better if you turn around and face him. You already said you wanted to hide nothing, holding a serious conversation while hiding your face is going against your own words. Turn around and look at him, it's what your heart wants anyway."_

Saya didn't respond to Kamikaze, but was grateful for his encouraging words. It seemed to take all the strength she had in her body, but she turned to face Juushiro. She tried to wear an icy mask to cover her emotions, but when she met Juushiro's warm eyes, it completely melted away. She felt exposed and vulnerable, she didn't wholly mind though, since it was Juushiro. He deserved to see her true feelings.

"Please don't touch me until I've finished."

Juushiro took a step back.

Saya turned her eyes away for a moment. "And don't let me touch you either. I'll only respond in kind to your actions."

Saya watched as he took another step back, a gentle smile spread to his lips. "As you wish. But you have to look at me. I won't have you hiding your eyes."

Saya gave a brief nod and took another deep breath to help her collect her thoughts. She turned her eyes back toward the man she had been loving for so many years.

"I have definitely betrayed you." Saya said it so directly she surprised herself.

Juushiro's eyes widened with momentary shock. "What do you mean?"

It was hard for Saya to keep her eyes to Juushiro's. "For so many years I only thought about you and how I could keep my promise that I made to you in the cave. I drove potential suitors away, trapped them in unforgivable circumstances, and just plainly delayed my marriage. But with Hideo-dono, I… I…" She swallowed hard.

Juushiro nodded. Saya noted that his soft lips were now a hard line on his face. "You don't have to say it." He said quietly.

"No. I do have to say it because I don't want there to be anything unsaid. I want you to know how I feel and what I've been thinking. I know it will cause you pain and suffering, but please allow me to say it out loud."

Juushiro nodded again.

"I did fall in love with him, Juushiro, and I willingly gave myself to him. I… I tried to convince myself that it was for the best. At that point, it was certain that I'd never be able to see you again. My grandfather and family elders were pushing me so hard to choose a husband. I tried to convince myself that you would be happy for me. That you would have wanted me to move on. I had to say it to myself otherwise the overwhelming guilt would have driven me insane. I'm sure of it.

"But what was the first thing I did when I was granted permission to come here in search for my fiancé? I went to you in your bed. I only wanted to be by your side. He did make me happy, but the happiness I felt with him was insubstantial compared to the happiness and love I have with you. After everything and after all these years, it's really only ever been you. But then I went and did something so awful. I'm so sorry." Saya held out her wrist and showed Juushiro that she still wore his bracelet. "Even though another man was my fiance I couldn't never bring myself to take it off because it was like a part of you that I always had with me. In the end, it's always been you."

Saya didn't realize that her tears had spilled over so heavily down her cheeks until she felt a drop hit her hand. She felt her face with the tips of her fingers and realized her cheeks were stained with their salty residue. But Juushiro had yet to respond and the silence between them was more than Saya could stand.

She took a step forward. "Juushiro?" She reached toward him.

He took a step back.

She froze. _That's right, I told him not to... _She swallowed roughly and tried to wipe some tears away, only to have more slide down her cheeks. That's when she noticed tears brimming in Juushiro's eyes too. Her breath caught in her throat. Never once, in all the years she knew him, had she ever seen Juushiro cry.

She sank to her knees and hid her face in her hands. Knowing that she caused him so much pain was more than she could handle. It took all the strength she had not to completely collapse and curl into a ball. She sobbed harder.

Then suddenly she felt strong fingers wrap themselves around her wrists and pull her hands from her face. Those same fingers tilted her chin. "I told you not to hide your face from me." Juushiro said gently, tears clearly making trails along his strong cheeks. Juushiro took his hands from Saya's face and placed them in his lap.

"I'm so sorry." Saya choked through sobs.

Juushiro shook his head. "It seems our love for each other has brought us both pain, but I suppose it was unavoidable in this case."

He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again to stare intently into Saya's.

"I have had only thoughts of you in my heart." Juushiro said, but didn't say anything else. He allowed silence to creep around them until Saya could barely stand it any longer. Their tears kept coming at a steady pace.

After several minutes, Juushiro sighed and rested his forehead against Saya's.

"I don't like it at all, hearing that you were with another man. Unfortunately there's nothing I can really do about it, can I? Especially since I've always wanted you so badly. For all these years I've had two sides of me warring with each other. One wanted you to find happiness and move on. I thought that someone younger than I, and in better health, could show you a superior happiness that could last for longer than I could have provided you. Then the other side, a much more selfish side, didn't want you to find anyone. I wanted you to only think of me and want me. I wanted you to reject anyone who tried to turn your eyes from me."

Juushiro sighed again. Saya couldn't find any words to respond with. Her heart felt happy that he loved her so much, but heavy because of the suffering she had caused him.

"I think the selfish side was much stronger. When I saw you last, with that boy, Oshiro, I was filled with so much jealousy I thought I would go insane. I hate to admit it, but he was rather well-suited for you. It made my stomach turn."

Saya responded with a rather weak whimper and to her surprise, Juushiro smiled at her. She recognized that smile, no one else had ever seen it, it Juushiro's special smile meant only for her. Butterflies filled Saya's stomach and her heart pounded.

Saya lowered her eyes again and felt Juushiro sharply tilt her chin up.

"No, no, no. No hiding from me."

Saya smiled at the man she loved above all others. "I hate it. You still have this sort of effect on me. Even in this serious situation, my heart beats so fast and my head becomes giddy with thoughts of you."

Juushiro pulled Saya close and gave her a soft, yet brief kiss. "I'm happy that I still am able to make you feel that way." He whispered.

Heat rose to Saya's face as she felt his strong arms wrap themselves around her body. She was so happy that Juushiro hadn't rejected her, she felt as if she were flying or perhaps stuck in a dream.

"I'm sure there's much more for us to discuss, but that will have to be for another time. I feel like I finally have you back. After all these years, you're in my arms once more." Juushiro whispered into Saya's ear as he gave her light kisses on her neck. Shivers raced up and down her spine. "I don't think I can handle losing you again."

Saya felt Juushiro's lips touch her own with an intense passion behind his kiss. A warming sensation rushed through her body. Saya hungrily returned his gesture with a fervor that took her by surprise. She felt his hands glide up her back and knot themselves in her long, golden locks.

"I won't stop, even if you ask me to. Even if you hate me for it." He said with certain authority.

Saya shook her head. "I couldn't hate you."

Juushiro picked her up and then dropped her roughly on the bed. Saya didn't have time to react before she felt the weight of him on top of her. "Good, because I've been without your warmth for too long so I won't hold back. Especially now that I know I have to erase another man's mark from your body."

* * *

Shunsui stood guard outside of the barracks smiling lightly to himself.

"Kyouraku-taicho, we want to see Saya-chan too!" Matsumoto pouted.

"Did you see how long her hair has grown? It's even more beautiful than it was before." Yumichika said.

"It seems she's grown a lot stronger and I'm in the mood for a good fight." Ikkaku smirked.

Shunsui smiled at the threesome standing before him. He knew that Saya had run around with them a lot during her time as a shinigami, but he had a feeling she didn't want any other visitors right now.

"Sorry, no visitors. Orders from Yama-jii." He delivered smoothly.

"That's not true! I saw Ukitake-taicho go in and he hasn't left yet!" Matsumoto continued to whine.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Juushiro left ages ago." Shunsui procured a bottle of fine sake from the folds of his robes. "Run along, you three. I'm sure Saya will be granted visiting hours another time."

He received a group scowl, but Ikkaku grabbed the bribe and led the group away. "We'll come back tomorrow then." He called over his shoulder.

Shunsui leaned against the building and looked up at the sky with a smile on his face.

* * *

Despite how heavy they grew, Saya refused to close her eyes. After making love to Juushiro well into the night, sleep was fighting hard to take her down. But Saya was sure the next time she opened them Juushiro would be gone, so she fought sleep with every ounce of strength she had. He, on the other hand, had allowed himself to fall into a peaceful slumber without resisting it at all. But that didn't seem to bother Saya. It didn't matter to Saya if Juushiro was asleep or not, she was just happy to be with him.

She traced every line of his face until it was etched in her memory. The gentle curve of his lips and the long bridge of his nose to his strong jaw. Saya didn't want to miss a single detail. She listened to the rhythmic pattern of his breathing. It calmed and soothed her like nothing else could. His strong arms still hadn't loosened their grasp. Saya didn't mind. She reveled in the feel of his skin pressed against her own. The two of them fit together perfectly, like pieces of a puzzle.

Saya thought back to their love making and felt a blush heat her cheeks. He had been a little aggressive with her, but Saya didn't mind. Their bodies had been hungry for each other with years of built up passion. Juushiro seemed even more pleased with the way her body had responded to his own. It was just like before, every single touch and kiss caused Saya to crave more of him.

_"Stop thinking dirty thoughts."_

Saya's eyes snapped open while her blush only increased. _"Shut-up, Kamikaze! I can't help it, it's been so long since Juushiro and I have… they aren't dirty!"_

_"You could have fooled me. They seem pretty perverted from this end."_

_"I'm not perverted!"_

_"Aren't you?"_

Saya became even more embarrassed and angered at the same time. And what made it worse was seeing Kamikaze's cool gaze from the back corners of her mind.

He chuckled at his master's distress. _"Your body wants to go to sleep, Saya-sama. I think you should let it. It needs to recuperate after a strain like that."_

_"Kamikaze!"_

He couldn't contain himself any longer and Saya saw him double over in a laughing fit underneath their tree. It seemed the more infuriated she became, the harder he laughed.

_"Okay, okay… I've gotten a hold of myself."_ Kamikaze wiped a tear from his eye. _"But you should have seen the look on your face!"_

_"Stop it!"_ Saya groaned.

Kamikaze sighed and seemed to truly settle himself. _"Honestly, Saya-sama, I'm sure tomorrow will prove trying in its own ways. You should rest. You've always rested better while in his arms anyway."_

Saya smiled but still fought too keep her eyes open and focused on Juushiro. _"You're right, but he won't be here when I wake up."_

_"The pretty taicho will be by your side now that you have returned to his. He will give you all of his support. Trust in him and get some rest."_

Saya snuggled into Juushiro's chest a little more and finally allowed her eyelids to close. Sleep overtook her senses quickly and she rested peacefully in her lover's arms.

* * *

Saya stood in the middle of the large room, her eyes focused on the head captain. He sat in his tall-backed chair while he quietly regarded the girl that stood before him.

"Saya-san, you stand before me with some serious crimes laid on your shoulders. We will being our questioning as soon as the emissary from His Majesty's realm arrives."

Saya nodded. "Hai, Soutaicho."

Silence once again filled the room. Saya couldn't help but glance over towards where Juushiro was standing. He graced her with a kind smile. She tried her best to keep her face expressionless as she turned to see her brother tugging on the brim of his hat while giving her a wink. Saya turned her eyes to the floor.

"They have arrived, Soutaicho." Yamamoto's fukutaicho announced with a bow.

The doors opened and Saya was hit with such a strong and familiar spiritual pressure. She couldn't believe it. She spun around to look at the men who had walked into the head captain's meeting hall.

"No… no way." She whispered.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Thank you to all of my reviewers and new readers! I'm so happy that you've all stuck with me for so long. Sorry for all the Shoujo-romance-type writing with the scene between Saya and Juushiro... I couldn't help myself! I had started writing this chapter in a different way, but it didn't feel right... So I started again and I am much happier with this version of it. Of course, I'm feeling a little bit of pressure here lately... I don't want to let anyone down! I've built this up so much that I hope it's not a let down to anyone. Anyway, there's obviously a few more chapters to go. I hope you continue to enjoy! Thank you so much again!


	50. Chapter 50: Disbelief

I do not own bleach or any of the characters.

Sorry it's been so long... more of a vague explanation at end of chapter.

Please enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Saya tried in vain to remain calm as the familiar reitsu pressed hard against her own. It didn't matter that she couldn't see his face, she knew very well who was hidden behind the mask. She hadn't expected this at all, and now her nerves stood on end with fear. Her breathing turned into shallow breaths as she tried to wet her stone-dry mouth. Her thoughts raced a million miles a second as her brain tried to make sense of the situation.

"You may leave us." His voice was just as strong and authoritative as ever.

Saya was vaguely aware of the two people standing on either side of her grandfather and her senses pricked at the sensation of the spiritual pressure of at least two hundred members of the King's Guard.

"My lord, I must insist that I stay by your side. The Sereitei has just suffered a great defeat because of the treason of three, captain class shinigami and she is the daughter of the head traitor!"

"I did not give you permission to speak. I have given my orders and you will obey them."

Saya's eye's fluttered to the covered face of her cousin, the King's current personal body guard. It didn't matter that Saya wanted to feel glib about the fact Haitsuchi had just been admonished by the King. It was Haitsuchi's job to stay by his side, especially in times like this. But Saya couldn't do anything but stand there, frozen in disbelief and barely tolerating the reitsu her grandfather pressed upon her.

"As you wish, my lord." Haitsuichi bowed along with the other person flanking the King's side. They exited the large hall but didn't go much past the other side of the doors.

Saya flinched as she heard the locks latch into place.

"My lord." She said in a weak voice as she lowered herself onto the floor and into a low bow.

Her lord didn't address her. "Yamamoto-soutaicho, I requested that you allow only your most trusted captains to be present today."

"Hai, my lord. Along with my fukutaicho, here are captains Kyouraku Shunsui and Ukitake Juushiro. They are two of the oldest captains within the Gotei Thirteen, other than myself and Unohana Retsu. Unfortunately, she could not be here today and is tending to the injured."

"And they are familiar with Saya?"

"The captains are indeed. I can explain it if you wish or you can allow Saya to explain it to you properly."

The head captain didn't get an answer. Saya only heard heavy footsteps echo off the walls as her grandfather made his way to join Yamamoto-soutaicho on the other side of the room. With her head still low to the floor, and her golden locks blocking her view, Saya wasn't able to steal glances towards Shunsui or Juushiro. It drove her insane that she wasn't able to see their faces, that she couldn't try to guess what they were thinking.

"Calm down, Saya-sama." Kamikaze whispered from the corners of her mind. "Your reitsu is too anxious and fearful."

"I can't help it. I am anxious and fearful. What is he doing here? He never leaves his realm! He's come here to kill me himself, I'm sure of it. I couldn't have caused him any greater shame! I'll lose my head right here in front of Aniki and Juushiro."

Saya didn't have the chance to hear Kamikaze's reply to her frantic thoughts.

"Stand up, Saya." The King's voice sounded harsh and cold. It was enough to send a chill down Saya's spine as she stood and turned herself towards him. Her eyes remained downcast towards the floor, but she could see that Yamamoto-soutaicho had given up his seat, which was now occupied by her grandfather.

Saya managed a swallow, despite the persistent dryness of her mouth.

The king let out a heavy sigh and Saya could feel his eyes boring into her. She didn't want to meet his face. She felt that if she could avoid his gaze then maybe she would live just a little longer.

"Look at me, Saya." The king said, continuing his cold tone.

Her eyes widened in more fear. Saya licked her lips, desperate to wet her arid mouth. Saya couldn't tell if it was because she didn't want to look at her grandfather that her head didn't raise or if it was because she frozen in fear.

"Kamikaze, I really don't want to die. I don't want to."

"Saya-sama, you must look up."

"I'm afraid."

"I'm here with you. Look up."

"Look up." The king said again, his voice turning harsher.

Saya's head snapped up to look at the king. She wanted to lower her eyes, so she could feel hidden from him, but fought her instinctual reaction.

"Are you so cowardly you can't even meet our gaze? Is this really the Saya we know?"

"Forgive me, my lord." Saya could barely manage a whisper.

"You will answer all of my questions honestly." He said. It wasn't a request, it was a command and Saya heard it in his tone.

"Hai." Saya said weakly as she shifted under the weight of his reitsu, doing her best not to break eye contact.

Saya stared at the masked face for what seemed like hours, though it was mere moments. Her grandfather's reitsu continued to press down on her and she wasn't sure how much she should fight back against the heavy weight of it. Deciding it was better not to resist too much, Saya bore the arduous spiritual pressure as best she could.

The tension in the air was palpable and everyone seemed a bit edgy about the scene that played out in front of them. Even the usually airy Shunsui was standing still and silent as he watched his younger sister struggle.

Saya was surprised when a heavy sigh broke the silence. Her grandfather shook his head from side-to-side.

"What am I to do with you, Saya?" He brought his hand to his mask and started to remove it.

Saya gasped as she realized what he was about to do. "What are you doing? Please don't!" She tried to run towards her grandfather to keep him from unmasking himself but was stopped by Sasakibe-fukutaicho when he drew his zanpakuto and held it at her neck.

"You aren't allowed any closer." Saskibe-fukutaicho said.

"But I can't let him…" Saya yelled only to be cut off mid sentence.

"Silence." The king's voice rang out.

Saya met the face of her grandfather. The fact they had matching blue eyes escaped no one, but only Yamamoto seemed unmoved by the revelation.

"Saya-chan, how do you know this man?" Shunsui asked more carefully than was in his nature.

She didn't answer she only gawked at the unmasked face of her grandfather. It took a few moments before her irritation to set in.

"What are you thinking? Revealing your face to members of the Gotei thirteen?! There's just been a major defection and you enter into this realm and show your…" Once again she was interrupted.

"That's more like the Saya I know." He said, though no amusement seemed to frame his words. "I had to knock you out of that state somehow. This seemed the best way."

Irritation started to turn to anger. "The best way? It's being careless." She folded her arms and turned her head in a scowl.

"You have been rather careless too, ne?"

Saya took a deep breath and turned to look at her grandfather with a blank face. "Hai. I have been."

"Please take your place where you were standing before. As Sasakibe-fukutaicho said, you are not allowed any closer." The king stated.

Saya turned and took her place slightly farther back than she had been. This position better allowed her to view and gage Shunsui's and Juushiro's reactions. Though they both seemed to have placed blank looks on their faces as well. Saya didn't think that kind of look really suited either of them.

"I will ask you again. 'What am I to do with you, Saya?' The last twenty-four hours have been quite a mess since Souta-kun returned with the news that you were the daughter of a traitor and that you had hoped to defeat him by yourself without anyone finding out the truth of your relationship to said traitor. He willingly answered all of our questions, including when you regained your memories of past events and what your rationing was for not coming and revealing this information yourself. You have behaved so foolishly, Saya, and your foolish actions have placed a lot of people in danger."

"Hai." She replied. She couldn't argue. Because of her selfish actions, her fear of dying because of her relation to Aizen, Saya had put so many people in harm's way.

"I'd like to hear from your mouth why you did not come to me."

Saya nodded and took a deep breath to work up her courage. "I am no so unlike the coward you called me earlier, my lord. I was afraid that if I revealved the truth about Aizen Sousuke being my father, that I would be killed simply due to our relation. It's hypocritical of me; I know this. I, who wiped out so many families; I, who have slain mothers and children because of the sins of the father; I was afraid to face the same fate." Saya took another breath. "But I was also afraid that, with no proof, that nothing would be done against Aizen. What was my word against a beloved captain who had performed his duties flawlessly up to this point? I didn't think that anyone would believe some girl who had suffered from amnesia for so long. I know I wouldn't have believed me despite my current standing within the court.

"But I've also been blinded by revenge. This man, my father, had betrayed me so easily. He used my feelings for him against me. I had never realized he was so cruel. But who would expect this from a father who had only treated them with love and kindness up to that point?" Saya unconsciously brought her hand to her chest, over her most severe scar. "This man, my father, easily roped me into admiring him once again when I came to the Sereitei to study as a shinigami. Even I was seduced by his kindness and seemingly gentle nature. But now I realize, no, I remember that there is nothing he won't do to achieve his goals."

"The current 'Saya' believes that you hesitated on the hill. Did you hesitate and why did you do so?" The king asked in a gentle voice.

Saya met his blue eyes with a small smile. "I didn't consciously hesitate and I would say the same about her, actually. But perhaps I did? A small part of me doesn't want to believe that he's a monster. Aizen Sosuke is my father and I love…" Saya stopped when she realized what she was saying. It was only natural for one to love and want the love of their father, wasn't it? That was the reason she was upset by his fake death and the reason she struggled with her duties throughout everything. "I love him." She finished quietly. "Despite what a horrible man he is, I can't deny that I still have the feelings that every daughter would have for their father." She started to study the floor beneath her feet as she came to terms with her emotions and viciously fought back her tears.

The king nodded and gave her a solemn look. "This has caused a great uproar. Never before has a blood traitor been a direct descendant." He turned his attention to Shunsui and Juushiro, who were staring intently at Saya.

"Yes, I understand." Saya nodded and took notice of the confused looks worn by her brother and lover. She expected the king to continue on the topic and was surprised when he didn't.

"Yamamoto-soutaicho said earlier that you are familiar with these captains. Explain." The king said with a wave of his hand.

She turned to her brother first. "This is Kyouraku Shunsui. Captain of the eight division and one of the first captains to take his place among the Gotei. I was adopted by the Kyouraku family shortly after I was found by his father, Kyouraku Daisuke. At that time, Shunsui became my older brother and has been an attentive and protective brother. He's always helped and supported me, my lord. I owe so much to him."

Saya noticed the king's gaze ease up slightly.

"And this..." She turned to Juushiro. "This is Ukitake Juushiro, captain of the thirteenth squad. Another one of Yamamoto-soutaicho's early students. He and Kyouraku-taicho graduated together and became captains at the same time. He and Kyouraku-taicho are best friends and so I came to know him through Shunsui. He and I became very close as well. He, too, supported and guided me while I was here. It was because of Ukitake-taicho's help that I was able to regain my shikai form." Saya shifted, knowing her grandfather had perked up when she mentioned that she and Juushiro were ' very close.'

She was correct, he had taken notice. "What do you mean when you say, 'you became close,' Saya?"

Saya tried to find the best words to use for the situation. "Ukitake-taicho is the reason for my rejecting so many suitors for all those years." She said softly as she gave a quick glance in Juushiro's direction.

The king's eyes narrowed toward Juushiro as Saya started to fidget with the bracelet he had given her so many years ago.

"I see." Her grandfather paused for several moments as he studied the white-haired captain with a new sort of curiosity.

"Forgive me for interrupting, but what do you mean when you say that Saya is a direct descendant?" Shunsui asked with a polite sort of tone that Saya had never before heard from her brother. She was impressed, apparently Shunsui did know how to be incredibly polite and humble when the situation called for it.

Saya once again met the eyes of her grandfather and wondered how he was going to respond to Shunsui's question. She was sure he wouldn't answer and reveal any more of his or her identity to the captains in the room. Saya was sure that she would take the fact that she was an imperial princess to the grave.

"Saya, please explain the situation to the men in the room."

Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped wide open.

"Kamikaze, is this a trick?"

"Close your mouth, Saya, you look like a fish washed ashore."

"Is my lord certain that he wants me to explain… truthfully?"

"Don't question me, Saya." The king said harshly enough it made Saya jolt slightly.

"Hai." She paused for a moment, once again working up her courage to speak. "Kyouraku-san," it felt so weird to call him that. "I am the granddaughter of his Imperial Majesty. Before I was attacked by Aizen, I acted as his personal body guard. I was given the name 'Saya' the same as my mother and grandmother before me to symbolize the fact that it was my duty to keep him safe from harm.

"The term blood traitor refers to the fact that I am within the King's bloodline and have been associated with treacherous acts against him. It's an incredibly shameful title."

Saya turned to look at her brother, who held an amused look on his face. This confused her and decided to turn to Ukitake to gage his reaction. He wore a more appropriate look of surprise and disbelief, but it turned to warm smile when his eyes met Saya's. She caught both men studying and comparing her eyes with those of her grandfather.

"If I may continue to be so rude, are you his Imperial Majesty? It's hard not to notice the similarity in your eye color, my lord." Kyouraku-taicho asked with a bow.

"I am."

Saya stayed in her position this time but couldn't help but call out to him. "Ojii-sama! Why are you…"

"I don't remember giving you permission to speak."

Saya gasped as she was smacked with another heavy wave of reitsu. It was powerful enough that she had to take a step back to maintain her balance.

"Be careful, Saya-sama." Kamikaze cautioned.

"Why is he revealing himself? The council would be in fits if they found out! I'm sure they are already at their wit's end that he's even here!" She spit back.

"You are being disrespectful to Yamamoto-soutaicho and his trusted captains, Saya." The king's voice rang in her ears.

She looked up at him, taking some shallow breaths in the process.

"I am revealing myself to Yamamoto-soutaicho, his fukutaicho, and these two captains because I am putting my faith that they will not reveal anything about me to the rest of the Gotei Thirteen. It is important that at least this small group of men know who they are trying to protect. If Aizen manages to make his way into my realm, I want those who are powerful and most likely to stop him to know which man they are supposed to protect. The future of the Soul Society depends on my being alive, at least until another heir is ready to take my place. I believe they will keep my secret as you have. Though I'm sure the fact that you're the imperial princess won't be a secret for much longer. I'm positive everyone already knows that you're the daughter of a treacherous captain."

"What do you mean by that, my lord? Will everyone know before or after you lop off my head?" She noticed the bitterness sneak through her words though she tried to hold it back. Saya was hoping she wouldn't have to pay for her tone, though nothing could be worse than losing her head.

A sad look crossed the king's face. "Is that what you think? That I've come to execute you myself?"

Saya was not only surprised by his display of emotions, but also by his question. "Why would I think anything else, my lord?"

"I intend for your head to stay on your shoulders. You have an enemy to help defeat." He said.

"I'm sorry. Did I hear you correctly? I won't be executed?"

The king shook his head.

"I don't understand." Saya said in shock.

"I suggest you not question it too much, Saya-sama, lest the king change his generous mind!" Kamikaze snapped.

"There are some stipulations, of course." The king said plainly.

Saya was dumbfounded. "Of course." She blinked.

"The first is that you will now carry the name of your treacherous father as your own. From this day forth you will be called 'Aizen Saya.'"

The edges of Saya's mouth twitched at the fact she would have to bear her father's name. But she supposed if she kept her head, his name was of little consequence.

"You will never again be allowed in the king's realm, this is a given."

Saya nodded as a blank mask started to cover her features.

"You will be expected to privately train the current saya in areas that are only passed between each generation of Saya. Do you best to train in secret, I don't want anyone's eyes watching you."

"Hai." She nodded again. So far, none of this seemed too bad.

"And you must bear the knowledge that because of your actions and disregard for those around you, you are the cause of one of your most loyal servant's death."

Saya's head snapped up as the king took a small, wooden box from an inside pocket. He walked towards her and placed the box in her hands.

"He died in exchange for you life, Saya. Do not let his death be in vain." He said quietly in her ear

"Ojii-sama… I." Tears overflowed from Saya's eyes as she sunk to her knees. The king gave her pat on the head.

"There's one last thing." He said as he withdrew his zanpakuto from his side.

Saya didn't move when she saw the blade. She only stared at the box where Souta's ashes had been placed and cried. She didn't move when she felt the hair being pulled from around her neck and she barely noticed her long locks fall to ground after being cut by her grandfather's zanpakuto. She didn't care that she was disowned; she didn't care the losing her locks meant losing her status of imperial princess. What Saya did care about, was the fact that one of her oldest and most treasured friends had been put to death.

And it was all her fault.

I'm so sorry, Souta. I'm so sorry.

She felt her grandfather place one more gentle touch on the top of her head before she felt him move from her side.

"Wait." She said quietly.

Her grandfather's heavy footsteps silenced as he stopped and turned towards his granddaughter. Though it took a massive amount of effort on her part to even take her eyes away from the small box, Saya stood and walked over to her grandfather. She placed her arms around him.

"Forgive me, Ojii-sama, for being such a shameful granddaughter. I'm sorry. And I won't… I won't let his death be in vain. I will definitely defeat Aizen before he can bring any more harm to this place, before he can bring any harm to you." She whispered.

Saya was happy when she felt her grandfather's arms wrap around her shoulders. "I've always been proud of you, Saya. Please do the things you've promised."

She nodded and stepped away from him, clutching the small box to her chest. Saya watched as her grandfather replaced his mask as he walked away. It was only moments later that his reitsu, along with the mass of guards that accompianed him, vanished behind a barrier separating their worlds.

* * *

A warm pair of hands gently touched Saya's shoulders. She looked to see that Juushiro was standing behind her, giving her one of the warmest smiles she had ever remembered him wearing on his gentle face.

"There's more to be said, Saya." He whispered as he directed her back towards Soutaicho, who had reclaimed his seat once the king had vacated it.

"Aizen Saya, the king left me with instructions to do with you what I see fit."

Hearing herself addressed with his name made her flinch slightly, though Saya wasn't sure what to think or what to say. She was just happy that she got to live, though her elated feelings were laced with guilt over the loss of her beloved friend. But she would avenge his death as well, she had already more than willingly, placed the blame on her father. "Of course, sir. I'll be happy to do whatever is asked of me." She said plainly.

"I have decided that will be one of my teachers in my Spiritual Arts Academy. You will teach all levels of kidou to replace Otonashi-sensei, who has been wishing to retire for the last eighty years."

Saya blinked waiting for him to state his grounds of punishment and so forth.

"Not that it matters, but do you agree to this position, Aizen-san?"

Saya flinched again at hearing that name, 'Aizen.' "Of course, Soutaicho. I'm honored that you would chose this position for me."

"Dismissed."

Saya was having a hard time covering the shock on her face. Surely that wasn't it? Surely there was more to it than this?

But every time she felt she got off easy, her eyes were drawn to the small box that she clutched to her chest and she didn't feel that things were so easy anymore.

"Come Saya, let's go home." Juushiro put an arm around her shoulder and proceeded to guide her out of the first division; Shunsui following closely behind them.

Saya remained in a fog as they made their way to the thirteenth division. She barely noticed the odd looks and whispers that surrounded her as she walked through the streets. The scared, confused, or uneasy faces that followed her as she allowed herself to be led by Juushiro. It barely registered that everyone already knew she was the daughter of "Him."

It wasn't until she heard the familiar slide of Juushiro's front door that she snapped out of her daze.

"It's about time you came to, Saya-chan. I was starting to get worried." Shunsui joked as he playfully patted her on the back.

Saya looked around at the home she had shared with Juushiro. The home that she was going to share with him once again. So many feelings rushed over her at once, she wasn't sure what to do. So Saya collapsed on the floor and cried. She cried out of shame, out of happiness, out of guilt, and out of love. She wasn't sure which emotion was strongest, but it didn't matter how much she tried, she couldn't gain composure over her emotions or her body.

She felt herself being lifted and taken into the bedroom where Juushiro placed her on their bed. She curled into herself and continued to cry while he sat there, rubbing her head.

Saya wasn't sure how long she had cried, but eventually she drifted into an exhausted sleep with one hand clutching at Juushiro, and the other hand clutching the small box.

* * *

Author's Note: Wow... um, so it's been forever and a day. Even longer forever and a day than usual. I do apologize. There's been a lot of "real life" that's been going on and has kept me from writing. I didn't really have any desire for a long time to write, but I never wanted to give up on this story. I don't intend to, either. There is still more to come, but as you can tell, probably not too much more. But I said that like, 10 chapters ago and here I am at chapter 50! So who can really believe me anyway? hahaha... This chapter was incredibly difficult for me to write and I started and stopped it several times before finally charging through it. I wouldn't say it's my strongest chapter I've written, but hopefully it's not awful.

I do have some exciting news. I'm applying for the 2010 JET (japanese exchange and teaching program) so hopefully come July, 2010, I'll be living in Japan and preparing to teach english to elementary school children! Wish me luck!

Again and HUGE THANK YOU to all of my readers. You are so wonderful and I'm so happy and grateful that I have readers like you! I hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	51. Chapter 51: Patch it Up

I do not own bleach or any of the characters.

* * *

"Saya-sama? Don't you think you should get up now? Your brother and the pretty taicho are worried sick." Kamikaze said as he continued to stroke her blonde locks.

Saya sighed but didn't respond otherwise. She had long lost track of how long she had escaped into her inner world. For days she lay with her head in Kamikaze's lap and he stroked her hair. He calmed her with his words, with is presence and she just lay there.

"It would be nice for a change in the weather as well." Kamikaze said, looking out toward the windstorm that had been swirling around them since _that_ day.

Saya didn't move. It was Kamikaze's turn to sigh as he leaned down to place a light kiss on her temple, then sat up and started stroking her hair again. He let the golden strands fall through his fingers and scrunched his nose at the uneven pieces.

"Your grandfather could have chopped off your hair with a bit more grace, don't you think?" Kamikaze as he watched Saya's hair fall through his fingers once again.

"Hmm." Saya said blankly and watched as the wind forced the foxgloves and lavender into a low bow.

Kamikaze stopped for a moment and looked down at his master and wondered if this is how she reacted when they had been separated. He started to pat her hair again.

"Take as long as you need, Saya-sama."

Saya nodded and shifted when she felt Juushiro's reitsu nearby. She could tell by his spiritual pressure that he felt anxious, worried, beyond concerned.

"I'm horrible." She said quietly.

Kamikaze noticed the wind die down ever so slightly. "No, Saya-sama. You're hurt."

"I'm horrible because Juushiro and Shunsui have been by my side everyday and I have barely even acknowledged them. I can tell that they are worried about me. It's just that…"

"Neither Souta-kun or Oshiro-dono would want you to be like this. They wouldn't want you to feel so much guilt."

"I feel like I owe it to them to be miserable." Saya felt tears fall down her cheeks.

Kamikaze wiped away the salty drops. "And they both would be irritated and disappointed in you."

Saya nodded. "You're right."

"I usually am." Kamikaze said with a cockiness that only sounded good coming from him.

For the first time in days Saya actually smiled and closed her eyes. "Thank you."

When she opened them back up, she was looking up at the familiar ceiling in Juushiro's bedroom. Their bedroom. Saya turned her head towards the door that led into the small living room when she heard the sounds of her two favorite men talking.

* * *

"I don't know what to do, Shunsui. She doesn't respond to anything." Juushiro's voice carried pained undertones. It made Saya flinch knowing she was the reason behind it.

"She'll pull through, Juushiro. This is our Saya we're talking about." Shunsui tried to comfort his friend. But even he couldn't hide his concern.

Saya let out a sigh and sat up. Her body was stiff from lying in bed for so long. She stood up with a bit of effort and waited for her head to stop spinning before she found one of Juushiro's dressing robes in his wardrobe. Walking to the door, she took a deep breath before opening the door and stepping out into the living room.

Juushiro and Shunsui looked surprised to see her and they both quickly stood up from their seats. She tried to smile but her face kept its blank mask and Saya was sure her eyes gave away more sadness than she meant.

Shunsui opened his mouth to speak but Saya began before he had the chance to say anything.

"Shunsui, does Tsukiko still work in your household?" Saya asked, her voice soft.

"The young girl who acted as your private maid? Yes, she's still there."

"I'd like you to fetch her for me, please."

Shunsui didn't move from his spot, studying Saya with a keen eye. "Of course."

Saya turned her back to him and started to take a few steps towards the bathroom. "Tell her to bring some clothes for me. Anything that she's made herself will suffice. And a pair of scissors too."

"Scissors?" He asked with a curious grin.

Saya turned toward him again. "Yes, Kamikaze is complaining about my hair."

"Of course. I'll go now." Shunsui smiled to himself. "I won't be too quick about it though." He gave a little nod to Juushiro and made his way out of the little home on the water.

Saya turned toward Juushiro. She didn't say anything to him but when she started towards the bath once again, she heard Juushiro's footsteps behind her. She ran a hot bath and then started to undress. Saya wasn't surprised she felt Juushiro behind her. He took a bucked of hot water and poured it over her head and then did the same to himself. They took turns washing each other's bodies before settling into the bath together.

Saya leaned her back against Juushiro's strong chest and felt the tension melt away when he put his arms around her.

"I'm starting to… come back." Saya said softly.

"You had me worried, Saya." Juushiro placed a few delicate kisses on her neck.

"I've caused a lot of trouble for people. Some even lost their lives because of me." She could feel her body start to tense again as she pictured Souta.

"People's lives would have been lost whether or not you were involved."

Saya gasped in surprise at his words and she turned herself in the water to look at Juushiro. "What are you…"

He cut her off before Saya finished. "I'm saying it's the nature of things like these. For three captains to defect, we should be grateful that there weren't more lives lost. I'm not saying I like it anymore than you do, Saya. But I don't think you should lose yourself to guilt. We all have made mistakes; we all have done things we have regretted. But the important thing is that we learn from those experiences and we use them to make ourselves stronger, wiser, greater for the next time. Don't you think you owe it to Souta-kun?"

Saya swallowed and failed at keeping the tears from spilling out of her eyes. She nodded. "Yes, you're right. But, it's not just Souta-kun that I feel guilty about." She whispered.

Ukitake grabbed Saya at the elbows and pulled her into his chest. "Is it Oshiro?"

She nodded slowly.

Several moments of silence passed between them. "I think the same could be said for him as well, don't you think?" Juushiro whispered.

Saya had never been so grateful for Juushiro. His kindness always warmed her, even when he had the right to be furious with her. "Thank you." She whispered.

He responded by bringing her closer and Saya wrapped her arms around his waist. The warmth of his embrace helped to relax her once again. They stayed like that until the water cooled. Juushiro got out first and dressed himself. Saya watched.

"If you keep eyeing me like that, you'll make me blush like a young school boy." He said with a wry smile.

"I can't help but eye you. You're beautiful." Saya said whispered, a bit embarrassed by her honesty.

Juushiro was about to respond when a knock came at the bathroom door. "Are you two in there? Tsukiko is here, Saya-chan." Shunsui's voice was humorous behind the closed door.

Juushiro opened the door and stepped through and Shunsui backed away quickly with a smirk on his face.

"She's ready for you, Tsukiko-san." Juushiro said to the young maid.

"H…Hai." She rushed into the bathroom, her face colored red with embarrassment.

Juushiro gave Shunsui a dry look.

"What? What did I do?" Shunsui smiled back.

* * *

Saya looked at her reflection in the mirror. This was the shortest her hair had ever been as far as she could remember. It fell in long, wavy layers and sat on her shoulders. Tsukiko had done a splendid job cutting her hair and Saya was grateful that Tsukiko was skilled with a pair of scissors.

_"Is this better, Kamikaze?"_ Saya asked.

_"Hai, you look beautiful, Saya-sama."_ He responded.

"Thank you, Tsukiko, it looks lovely." Saya smiled up at the young girl.

"I'm happy you like it, Saya-sama." Tsukiko turned and opened the large dress box she had brought with her. "And now I will help you dress. I made this with you in mind."

Saya gasped at the beautiful kimono that Tsukiko had made. It was a soft gold color, with sky blue fabric at the collar, sleeves, and hem of the garment. Delicately embroidered into the fabric was a rich peacock pattern with blues, pinks, and greens sweeping across the cloth. Even the finest dressmakers in the king's palace didn't seem to compare with Tsukiko's skill.

"Do you like it?" The young girl asked, looking a little worried.

Saya didn't take her eyes off of the kimono. "It's breathtaking."

A wide smile made its way across Tsukiko's face as she helped Saya get dressed.

* * *

"My, my, Saya-chan, don't you look lovely?" Shunsui said as his sister came into view.

She gave him a small smile. "Tsukiko made this, I owe any loveliness to her today. Thank you very much, Tsukiko-chan, you may go now."

Tsukiko gave a low bow to the people in the room and made her way out of the house.

"She possesses an impressive skill." Juushiro said quietly. He hadn't been able to take his eyes off of Saya since she stepped into the room.

"What are we going to do now that you're all dressed up, Saya-chan?" Shunsui inquired.

"I have a couple of places I need to go. Will you two do the honor of escorting me?"

Both men nodded quickly. Saya smiled at them and then walked into the bedroom. It took her but a moment to retrieve the small wooden box she had desperately clung to for so many days. Making her way towards the front door, Shunsui and Juushiro fell into step behind her.

She led them through the Sereitei and to the gate that would lead them to Rukongai. She continued to walk on knowing that Juushiro and Shunsui were but a few silent steps behind her. People stared as she passed by but she paid no heed to anyone. She had a destination in mind and nothing was going to distract her. They walked for another forty-five minutes before Saya led them towards a wood that sat outside the tenth district. She smiled when they reached the small meadow that lay about a mile within.

"This is where Souta and I first met." She offered the information so freely to Juushiro and Shunsui. "He was being attacked by a hollow and I saved him. Though, at first, he did think that I was just as scary as the monster." She chuckled a bit at the memory and lifted the lid of the box.

_"Just a playful breeze should do, Kamikaze."_

_"Hai, Saya-sama."_

Saya began to empty Souta's ashes and Kamikaze sent a soft breeze to carry them around the meadow. She took a few moments to pray for the safe delivery of Souta's soul before turning towards her brother.

"Shunsui, do me a favor, and unsheathe your short sword."

"What?" Shunsui asked surprised.

Juushiro's face became worried.

"Please." Saya said calmly.

Shunsui did as he was asked but not without a moment's hesitation.

Saya walked over to him. "Thank you." She said before slicing her palm on the blade.

"Saya what are you doing?" Juushiro grabbed her wrist but she quickly twisted out of his grasp and took a short flashstep before he could react.

"I don't have my zanpakuto with me, so I wasn't able to do it myself." She said as if her previous act was commonplace.

The blood started to pool in her hand, but she was careful not to let any of the scarlet liquid stain the garment Tsukiko had made. She walked over to where the door would be that would take her to the King's realm. "I just want to see something."

Though she expected it, Saya was still surprised when the path didn't reveal itself to her. Instead, her blood dripped on the blades of grass below. "Hmm… I suppose it's a good thing I can't so easily walk into the King's realm. But, this means I truly have been abolished from the family." Saya whispered a healing kido and the slit on her palm vanished.

She turned around and bumped into the chest of her lover. She looked up at him in surprise as he grabbed her hand and started to wipe off the blood. "I'm fine." She said. "See? I've already healed it."

"What were you doing just now?" Juushiro asked, the slightest hint of irritation seeping into his tone.

Saya nodded towards the tree. "I used to be able to open a portal to the King's realm. I can't now."

Juushiro sighed to himself.

"Don't do that again, please, Saya." Shunsui and Juushiro voiced simultaneously.

She pretended not to have heard. "There's one more stop I have to make." Saya started back towards Rukongai. When they reached the edge of the wood she turned to Juushiro.

"The next stop is a bit far. Out of the boundaries of the cities and into the country of the nobles that don't dwell within the walls of the Sereitei. Because of my clothing, I can't truly use my shunpo to get there and if we walk it will take until late this evening. Could I bother you to carry me, please?"

Juushiro nodded and gathered Saya into his arms before taking a rather large flashstep. Saya held onto him tight as he took one long and quick stride after another. She stopped him a few hundred yards from a grand manor.

They walked at a normal pace the remainder of the way and she presented herself to the guards at the gate.

* * *

"I am here to speak with Lord Oshiro." She said with a modest smile.

"Do you have an appointment with the Lord?" One of the men asked as he followed the lines of her silhouette.

Juushiro had to stop himself from placing himself between Saya and the guardsmen. Shunsui noticed his friend's stiffened stance and smiled to himself. It seemed that Juushiro was much more watchful of other men's behavior around Saya than he was previously. No, he had never been blind, Shunsui concluded. It was that now Juushiro was feeling the need to be a bit more protective.

"No, but I'm sure he will see me. Won't you take me to him, my kind sir? I should really like an audience with the great Lord. The two captains and myself have travelled such a long way and will be so disappointed if we don't get to see him." Saya motioned towards Shunsui and Juushiro.

The guard easily identified them as Captains in the Court of Pure Souls and allowed them entry to the manor grounds. Saya followed him as he led her to the private offices of the Lord.

"Wait here." He said as he entered.

Saya turned to look at Juushiro and Shunsui and gave them a kind smile.

"Is it alright if I speak to him alone?" She asked quietly. They both nodded.

"You may enter."

"Thank you." Saya entered to room and laid eyes on a man that looked like an older version of Oshiro. Her heart ached as she shifted uncomfortably.

"May I ask who I have the honor of meeting today?" The man said with a kind smile.

Saya hesitated. Even his voiced sounded like his son's. "I am Saya." She said softly. "I was…"

"My son's fiancé."

Saya nodded.

"He told me everything about you. He said that you were one of the most beautiful women he had ever laid eyes on. I see that he was not lying."

Saya gave a weak smile. "Thank you, sir."

Lord Oshiro stood up from his seat and walked over to Saya. He placed kind hands on her shoulders. "What is it you have come to say to me today?"

"I'm sorry." Saya said rather ungracefully, but she was having a hard time controlling her emotions. "It's all my fault. I didn't mean for it to happen. But Hideo is gone because of me and I'm so sorry. I will do everything I can to avenge him, I promise." Saya mentally chastised herself. She had gone over the speech she had wanted to say over and over again and her head. Now that she was in front of the man who would have been her father-in-law, her words and actions came spilling out without any hint of elegance. It frustrated her to no end that she seemed to have no control of her emotions recently.

So she was taken by surprised when the man took her into a gentle hug. "My young girl, I do not blame you for my son's death. He was happy because of you and I'm sure he fought bravely."

Saya started to cry, it seemed she would never ran out of tears. "I'm sure he did." She wrapped her arms around the older man and returned his gesture. "It's just that… if he hadn't gone on my account…"

Lord Oshiro tightened his hold on Saya. "My young child, how were you to know? He went on his own accord, did he not? I will say it again; I do not blame you. Please do not blame yourself."

Saya's tears came out more violently. "Please my lord, tell me what to do for you and I will do it. I want to make up for the loss that I have caused your family."

"Just by coming and showing your face is more than enough. Do not lay blame to yourself. Though I have lost my oldest son, I still live on for him. It's what he would have wanted from us. It's what he would have wanted from you."

Saya attempted to gain control of herself with little success. "Thank you for your kind words, my lord. I promise to live on for his sake."

The Lord wiped away her tears and patted her on the cheek. "I pray for your happiness my child. Now go, before I start with the waterworks as well."

Saya nodded and quickly exited hoping that if she removed herself from Lord Oshiro her emotions would fall back under her control. The first thing she saw was Juushiro's warm eyes fixed on her. He gave her a sad smile at the sight of her tear-stained face.

"Actually, there's just one more thing, my child."

Saya started and turned around not realizing the Lord had decided to follow her out.

"Yes, my lord?"

"When I said my son told me everything, I mean everything."

Saya stood there confused. "O… okay."

"I know that it was your love for another man that kept you from accepting him for so long. I need to know, for my own sake, did you _want_ to marry my son."

Saya looked into the man's warm eyes and smiled. "You're son was the only one who was ever able to turn my eyes away from the other. The only man that could have ever managed such a fete. The answer is rather simple. Hai. I wanted to marry your son." Saya continued knowing full well that Juushiro and Shunsui could hear her clearly. "He brought me happiness when I thought I could never have it. And I'm happy that I could give him some in return. I'm sure we would have lived happily together, if things had worked out differently."

The Lord cupped Saya's tear-streaked cheeks and gave her a kiss on the forehead. Tears began to trickle down his cheeks as well. "Come visit me again, my child. Be off with you now, I won't stop you this time. It seems this old man has something in his eye and I must take care of it."

Saya nodded and turned walking passed Shunsui and Juushiro and out of the manor grounds. It was only moments later that she felt herself being lifted by Juushiro as he started to flash back towards the Sereitei and the home they shared.

* * *

It was well after dark before they reached the Sereitei, but Juushiro didn't stop until they had reached the front door, which he opened and continued to carry Saya inside.

"Juushiro, you can put me down now."

He didn't respond and made his way towards the bedroom and dropped Saya on the bed before climbing in himself. He lay his head on her chest and closed his eyes. Saya wrapped her arms around his shoulders and began to stroke his silky white locks.

"Juushiro?"

"I know you already explained everything to me, but it was still hard to listen to what you said to Lord Oshiro." He said quietly. "You did really love Hideo and it's true, you would have lived together happily."

Saya wasn't sure how to respond so she continued to run her fingers through his hair. Several moments of silence passed between them. The only sound Saya heard was the soft pattern of Juushiro breathing.

"You are the only man for me." Saya said quietly. She shifted so that Juushiro had to look at her in the eye. She gently cradled his face in her hands and stared into his warm brown eyes. "I only want you."

"But it's not always been the case, as you stated just not long ago." Juushiro leaned down and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips. "I've never even discussed marriage with you. I should…"

"No." Saya interrupted. "I don't need to get married. I was always content just to be by your side, Juushiro. You know that. I don't need a ceremony or a celebration. Everyday with you is worth celebrating and I'll remember that from now on. I love you."

Juushiro buried his head in the crook of Say's neck. "I love you too." He whispered. His hot breath sent shivers down Saya's back and she closed her eyes at the sensation.

She opened them again to see Juushiro wearing a smirk. "I still have that affect on you, I see."

"I believe you always will." She smiled.

Saya's lips met Juushiro's and they enjoyed a passionate kiss. It was a few minutes later that Juushiro growled in irritation.

"What?" Saya asked, surprised by his little outburst.

Juushiro tugged at Saya's obi. "Tsukiko made such a beautiful garment and it frustrates me that I have to be a bit more delicate than I would like to be in this moment for fear I may ruin it."

Saya laughed and helped him by sitting up so that he could untie her obi. The he carefully slid the garment off of her shoulders and followed the curves of her body.

"Don't eye me like that. I still do blush like a school girl." She whispered as she looked away.

Juushiro didn't allow Saya to hide her eyes from him as he turned her chin back towards him. "I can't help it. You're beautiful." Juushiro captured her lips again. "And now that you're here with me, truly here with me, I'm going to take advantage of the fact that I have a beautiful woman sharing my bed. Besides, if I've learned anything from today, it's that I must work even harder."

"What do you mean?" Saya seemed very confused by his statement.

"I will make it so that no other man will turn your eyes from me again, even if we are separated for an eternity. I will make it so you will never want the comfort of another again."

Saya's eyes widened for a moment before a smile crossed her lips. "I see. Then, please do work hard."

* * *

Saya walked the familiar path through the Sereitei, a few steps behind her brother. She had wished that Juushiro had come along with them, but he insisted that she go along without him, knowing that others desired her attention. The last several days had been bliss, as she and Juushiro spent all their time getting reacquainted with one another. She blushed at the thought of it.

"How are you doing, Saya-chan?" Shunsui asked his younger sister with a quick look back over his shoulder.

"I'm fine, Nii-sama. Just a bit nervous." She said, hoping her blush could be mistaken as anxiousness.

"Oh? And why is that?" He asked.

Saya seemed to look off into the distance while she searched for the words to use. Not happy with anything that came to her she settled on something simple and vague. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?" She said quietly.

Shunsui gave a small smile and turned back to the path in front of him. The gate was just ahead before they would be entering Rukongai.

"I know you don't have our family name anymore, Saya, nor will you ever be allowed another name in your lifetime, but you are still a member of the Kyouraku clan. Please don't forget that."

"Hai, Aniki. I won't forget."

Shunsui was pleased with the happiness in Saya's tone and the lift in her spirit. Shunsui was all too aware of the heavy guilt that Saya felt since she had returned to the Sereitei. It bothered him that she wasn't more open with her feelings, but he didn't press the issue. He knew she would come to terms with things in her own time and until she was ready, he would offer his support whatever way she allowed. She had a lot of readjusting to do and Shunsui knew well enough to let her do it on her own terms.

They walked through the gate. An easy silence hung in the air as they started weaving through the streets of Rukongai.

"Aniki, your ribbon is a different shade of blue today, isn't it?"

Shunsui smiled to himself. He had forgotten that Saya could be rather observant when she wished to be. "Hm? Is it? I hadn't noticed, I thought I had grabbed the same one."

"What? It's not like you to miss small details, Aniki."

Shunsui shot her a wry smile over his shoulder and ceased walking.

"Why are you stopping? The manor is only but a minute away." Saya said with confusion saturating her tone.

Shunsui grabbed his sister and pulled her into a hug. "It's been a long time since I've had you to myself. I've been kind, allowing Juushiro to be selfish with your time, but right now I thought I would cherish the moment for a bit longer before the others require you to share you attention as well."

Saya smiled to herself and wrapped her arms around her brother and held on to him tightly. His musky scent filled her nose and the ease she always felt around Shunsui started to settle her nerves. But she startled when she felt him gather her hair.

"Don't move, Imouto; I don't want to mess this up."

Saya stared into Shunsui's chest as she felt her hair taken up.

"It's harder this time, you don't have as much to work with." He mused as he finished tying the ribbon.

Saya stepped back and lifted a hand to her hair. She smiled when she felt the silky fabric of the ribbon on her fingertips and was amused by her tiny ponytail sticking out from her head. Shunsui smoothed her long bangs so they framed her face.

"How do I look, Aniki?"

"Perfect, it goes so well with your eyes. I always favored you in this particular ribbon."

Saya's smiled widened. "I can't believe you still have it after all of these years."

"You told me to give it back to you if I believed you deserved it and still felt as though you were my sister. I have always felt like that, Saya-chan. No matter where you go or how many years we are separated, you will forever be my family." Shunsui placed a delicate kiss on Saya's forehead. He grabbed her hand and linked her arm with his and then began to lead her to their family's home once again.

Saya didn't say anything. Shunsui didn't expect her to. The lightness he felt in her spirit was more than enough, and he was sure she was trying not to cry. Tears, happy or sad, recently found Saya an easy target.

When they stopped again, it was in front of the doors of the Kyouraku manor.

"Are you ready, Saya-chan?"

Saya gave a quick nod before Shunsui opened the door and announced their arrival. Saya was overcome with joy when she found her eldest brother with his family, her friends Hiama and Miroku, and finally, her father, Daisuke, waiting in the entryway for them. There was no holding back her tears this time and she ran to Daisuke.

"Oto-sama!" She cried as she fell into his open arms.

"Saya, my beloved daughter, I'm so happy…" Sobs replaced what would have been the rest of his sentence, but it didn't matter, words weren't needed.

Saya felt happy to be held by a man who she trusted would always behave as a father should. He would always love and protect her. She didn't need to fear this man as she did her biological father. Daisuke was what Aizen should have been.

"It doesn't matter what your name is, you are MY daughter." He finally managed to say as he squeezed her in his arms.

"Oto-san, share her, will you? We want to see her to!" Michi tugged at Saya's elbow and pulled her into another embrace before leading her to Kikyo and their son.

"Haru-kun! What a fine young man you've grown up to be. Do you even remember me?"

"Hai, Saya-oba-san." He blushed. "I'll be entering the Academy this term, so I will see you a lot more, yes?"

"Of course." She smiled. "I have a lot of time to make up for, don't I? I will be a good aunt to you, I promise. Not to mention, your kidou professor."

It was then that Saya was ambushed by the twins.

"Saya-chan! We're so happy you're home!"

"Hiami! Miroku! I'm happy as well! It's been far too long since I have seen you!" She threw her arms around her two oldest friends. "How are you?"

"Well, as you know my squad is reeling from the betrayal of Ichimaru-taicho." Hiami said uncomfortably. "But Kira-fukutaicho is working hard and encouraging all of us. But I'm doing very well!" Hiami finished with a smile

Saya gave a short nod. She had forgotten that Hiami was currently the sixth seat of squad three.

"I'm doing well myself as well." Miroku had a wry smirk on his face. "Midori-chan and I will be married soon! She would have liked to have been here, but Soifon-taicho wouldn't allow her the time off."

"Congratulations!" Saya smiled again. "And give Midori-san my regards. There will be plenty of time to catch up from now on, ne? I am looking forward to it."

During all of the commotion, Shunsui stood behind and observed the excitement surrounding Saya. He eyed her closely and was happy when he determined that her smile was true, not a hint of it being forced. She was returning to her old self little-by-little, though Shunsui wasn't so naïve to believe that she would be as she was before. No, she had gone through too much to return to that sort of innocence.

* * *

Shunsui lay on his father's roof looking at the stars thinking back on the night's events. The rest of the evening continued in the same happy manner that it had begun, with everyone competing for Saya's attention and she happily obliging. It seemed, to Shunsui, that speaking with Haru-kun made her the happiest though.

He smiled to himself when he felt the light breezing sensation of her happy reitsu join him on the roof.

She made herself comfortable beside him. "Haru-kun has become quite a wonderful young man."

"Yes, he's inherited all of his mother's and father's best traits." Shunsui answered.

"I look forward to knowing him better." Saya said quietly. She fixed her attention towards the direction of the Sereitei. "I'm finally coming back into myself, or whatever 'myself' is supposed to be now."

"You've been through a lot, Saya-chan. Don't force yourself."

The siblings sat in silence for a bit longer.

"I appreciate you, Shunsui. You've always been a truly wonderful brother. I've been lucky. And Juushiro too, he puts up with me no matter how difficult it may be."

Shunsui turned to look at Saya; her eyes seeing images other than what lay before her.

"I was hoping that I would have a peaceful life, but it seems I may have to wait quite a bit longer before that happens." Saya sighed. "A peaceful and long life with Juushiro. That would be my ultimate happiness."

Shunsui smiled at his sister. "Keep that image in your mind, Saya-chan. I'm sure it will come true."

It was Saya's turn to smile. She pulled out a small bottle of sake then filled and handed a cup to her brother. She lifted her own. "To our peaceful future."

Shunsui nodded and raised his as well. "To our long lives."

Saya hesitated a moment before bringing her saucer to her lips and taking a sip. She kept her eyes fixed on large hill that broke the line of the horizon. "Our long lives." She whispered.

_"What is it that you're thinking, Saya-sama?"_

_"Like you have to ask, Kamikaze."_ Saya said, amused.

_"Hmm… but I do."_

"I thought that I would be seeing through all the difficulties on my own." Saya said aloud. "Perhaps some will feel uneasy about my connections with Aizen. But at least I know that I still have the love and support of everyone that is truly important to me. I know now that I can get through anything. I aim to show everyone where my loyalties lie and that I am worthy of their trust."

"Saya-chan." Shunsui whispered.

She turned to him and smiled. "Never again will I lose sight of the things that are truly precious to me."

Saya turned her attention back towards the horizon; the sun was just peeking up from under the earth. Saya watched as it rose higher into the sky to start the new day… to start her new beginning.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thank you for reading! Reviews are always welcome. I have the sneaking suspicion that I forgot to thank some of my reviewers last chapter. I sincerely apologize if I forgot to reply to anyone! It wasn't intentional, I promise!


	52. Chapter 52: Annotation

WOW! (I'll make this short)

So I finally did it. After almost two years I finally finished my first multi-chapter fanfic.

I will be writing a sequel to this fic. I'm not done with Saya and I still love Juushiro and Shunsui far too much to leave them alone for too long! ^_^ So please be on the look out for that! My head is already filled with ideas and "scenes" for this next story. Though, I will try to keep it to a reasonable length! I don't have a title for it yet... any suggestions?

I want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to all of my readers. It's because of you that I wanted to finish this story and it's because of you that I want to continue to write. So I hope that you will still support me in my new story! Saya will have more interactions with more of our favorite Bleach characters throughout the next fic.

A bit about the final chapter... I felt it was fitting for the story to end at the Kyouraku manor with Shunsui, since that is where the story began. I also thought it was time that Shunsui return the ribbon. Haha... I was afraid that I had actually already had him give it to her in another chapter, because I've been trying to write it in since Saya returned. But I went back and read (I do this often so I don't repeat and it helps remind me of what I need to touch back on) and couldn't find that I had actually written it yet. I think I must have thought that I already had written this "scene" because I had started to write it a couple times before this and felt it didn't fit yet. Anyway, I was a bit redundant there, huh? But now that I'm writing this, I'm afraid he gave it to her in the prison cell? (frantically going back to look!) Nope... I'm good. (sigh of relief)

Again... I can't even begin to express my gratitude I've felt towards all of you while I write. I've appreciated your support and patience throughout this process! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU a million times over! ^_^

Sincerely,

Anihana


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